The Local Churches in the Book of Revelation

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

As we all know, in Revelation 2 and 3 there are the seven epistles to the seven churches. Although various differences are seen in these seven churches, these differences are all on the negative side. On the positive side, the churches are all the same. This is the reason that the seven epistles were not sent to each church separately and respectively; rather, all seven were sent to each of the seven churches. Moreover, at the end of each of the seven epistles there is the following word: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:7). Whatever was written to the church in Ephesus, for example, was a word that the Spirit was speaking to all the churches. This is a strong proof that all the local churches must be the same.

(Witness Lee, Spirit and the Body, 186)

In Revelation 2 and 3 we are told again and again that the Spirit speaks to the churches. This is very different from the Old Testament expression, “Thus saith the Lord.” Since the Spirit today is speaking to the churches, we must be in one of the local churches in order to hear His speaking. The Spirit today is speaking directly to the churches. Therefore, it is vital for us to be in one of the churches, in a church that we can designate as our local church.

(Witness Lee, Genuine Ground, 132-133)

Following the degradation of the church, the last book of the Bible was written in a different way. In the Gospels and in the Epistles, the order of the Persons of the Godhead is Father, Son, and Spirit. But in the last book, the order of the Godhead is changed to Father, Spirit, and Son. Now the Spirit is more important, and has been changed from the third place to the second. Moreover, the one Spirit has become the seven Spirits, the sevenfold, intensified Spirit.

The Lord Jesus said many things in the four Gospels, and the apostles wrote many books, but none of these told us as strongly as the book of Revelation that we must listen to the speaking of the Spirit. This last book tells us at the end of each of the seven epistles, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith.”…We must listen to the Spirit—not just read what is written. We must listen to the present, instant speaking of the living Spirit. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”

(Witness Lee, Recovery of God’s House, 16-17)

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

Neither can we find in the Book of Revelation any doctrines, gifts, or even any gifted persons. There are no apostles, no prophets, no evangelists, no shepherds or pastors here; neither are there any elders or deacons. What we see here are the angels in the local churches. The angels are the stars, and the stars are related to the seven Spirits just as the seven churches are also related to the seven Spirits. The seven Spirits are for the seven churches, and the seven Spirits are also for the seven stars.

(Witness Lee, Christ v. Religion, 177)

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Seven Lampstands

Spirit’s Speaking

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