The Local Churches in the Book of Revelation

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

Throughout the centuries, few Christians have touched the depths of the significance of the lampstands as symbols of the local churches….With the lampstand we see three important things: the gold, the stand, and the lamps….The gold signifies the Father as the substance, the stand signifies the Son as the embodiment of the Father, and the lamps signify the Spirit as the expression of the Father in the Son….Substantially, the lampstand is one, but expressively, it is seven because it is one lampstand with seven lamps….The seven lamps are first mentioned in Exodus….as we proceed from Exodus to Zechariah, we see that the seven lamps are the seven eyes of Christ and the seven eyes of God (Zech. 3:9; 4:10). As we continue on to Revelation, we see that the seven eyes of the Lamb are the seven eyes which are the intensified Spirit of God. Hence, we have a strong basis for saying that the seven lamps are the sevenfold, intensified Spirit as the expression of Christ….The seven Spirits of God are not separate from God; they are the seven eyes of God and of the Lamb, the Redeemer. They are also the seven eyes of the building stone (Zech. 3:9). Hence, they are the seven eyes with the redemption of Christ for God’s building. Whenever these eyes look at people, people are redeemed and built into God’s house.

(Witness Lee, Genuine Ground, 133-135)

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

The churches are the lampstands, and the lamps are the sevenfold intensified Spirit of God as the expression of Christ. This light is shining brighter and brighter, and the vision is becoming clearer every day.

The local churches as the golden lampstands shine with such a Spirit in the dark age of today. In today’s dark age, the church really needs the sevenfold intensified Spirit of God to shine forth the testimony of Jesus.

(Witness Lee, Divine and Human Spirit, 176-177)

Revelation 1:20 tells us that the local churches are lampstands. Lamps are needed in the nighttime, not in the daytime. Revelation 1:20 proves strongly that the church age is not the daytime, but the nighttime. As a lampstand the church shines in the night. However, the lampstand itself does not shine; the lamp does. The seven lampstands are in Revelation chapter 1 and the seven lamps are in chapter 4. The seven lamps are the seven Spirits (Rev. 4:5).

(Witness Lee, LS of Galatians, 51)

The purpose of the burning flame in carrying out God’s economy is to bring forth the golden lampstands, the churches. Burning implies judging, purifying, refining, and producing. Never be disappointed by the rottenness, corruption, and immorality of today’s human society. Do not be disappointed or so concerned for the world situation. Also, do not be disappointed by the weakness of the local churches. I do not believe in the seemingly disappointing condition in the world or in the churches. I believe in the flame of the burning seven Spirits which control and direct the world and which also judge, purify, and refine the church to produce a pure golden lampstand. We are here endeavoring to afford the Lord a chance and an entrance to judge us, purify us, and refine us to produce a pure golden lampstand. We are open wide to the flaming of the seven Spirits of God. We all need to pray, “Dear divine Flame, come! Come and judge! Come and purify! Come and refine that You may produce the golden lampstand.”….We all need to pray, “Lord, we are open. Come and shine upon us and shine from within us and enlighten every avenue and every corner of our being. I like to be exposed, purged, and purified.” Then the Lord has a way to produce a pure golden lampstand. The burning is going on not only in the entire world situation, but also in the churches.

(Witness Lee, NT Economy, 253-254)

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