A TYPE OF THE GENUINE ONENESS
We thank the Lord that for nearly all the spiritual things in the New Testament there are types in the Old Testament. One of the types of genuine oneness is found in Deuteronomy 12. In this chapter the good land typifies the all-inclusive Christ, whereas the mountains, hills, and green trees typify various centers of worship. The offerings mentioned in this chapter typify various aspects of the riches of Christ. Yes, Deuteronomy 12 is a record of a charge given to the children of Israel upon entering into the good land. But the details of this charge are also types, not only instructions that were to be taken literally by God’s people at the time. We may use the Passover lamb as an illustration of something that has both a literal and typical significance. The very lamb that was slain at the time of the Passover was also a type of Christ as our Redeemer. In the same principle, the manna eaten by the children of Israel in the wilderness was a type of Christ as our heavenly food. This principle also applies to the good land in Deuteronomy 12. The land was not only a physical realm possessed by the children of Israel; it was also a type of the all-inclusive Christ. In this chapter God’s chosen people were commanded to go to the unique place of God’s choice. This place was selected in order to preserve the oneness of the children of Israel. This place was not only an actual location in the land of Canaan, but also a type of the genuine oneness of the believers in Christ today.
THE CORPORATE CHRIST
In Psalm 133 the oneness of God’s people is likened to the precious ointment and to the watering dew. The precious ointment upon Aaron’s head spread upon the beard and eventually went down to the skirts of his garment. This picture of oneness is related to a person, Aaron, a type of Christ in His priestly ministry. As the High Priest, Christ served God, accomplished God’s purpose, and fulfilled the desire of God’s heart. However, in Psalm 133 Aaron typifies not only Christ Himself, but Christ with His Body. This means that here Aaron typifies the corporate Christ, the Head with the Body. The church in a very real sense is the corporate Christ. The church is thus a universal, great person with a number of aspects: the aspects of the Body, the Bride, the new man, and the warrior. All these aspects of the church are related to the person.
THE MANY LOCAL CHURCHES
In Psalm 133 the oneness of God’s people is also likened to the dew of Hermon that descends upon the mountains of Zion. These mountains typify the local churches. Every local church is a mountain of Zion. There is one Zion, but many mountains signifying the many local churches. As a person, the church is uniquely one. As a place, the church, on the one hand, is the unique Zion; but, on the other hand, it is the many mountains of the one Zion. Although there is one church in the universe, there are nevertheless many local churches. Each local church is a peak among the many mountains of Zion. Therefore, the person is universal, but the mountains are local. Our oneness is like the precious ointment upon Aaron and like the dew upon the mountains of Zion. God’s dwelling place, the temple, was located in Zion. On the one hand, the church is a person; on the other hand, it is a place. Upon the person there is the ointment, and upon the place there is the dew.
(The Genuine Ground of Oneness, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee)
