OUR SPIRIT AND THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD
Now let us come back to the wonderful book of Zechariah. Zechariah 12:1 says, “Thus declares Jehovah, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.” This is the only verse in the entire Bible that specifically indicates that God formed the spirit of man within him. This verse ranks our spirit with the heavens and the earth. Jehovah stretched forth the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him. The heavens, the earth, and the spirit are all equally ranked. Why does Zechariah mention this? Zechariah mentions this because this book speaks of God’s building, which absolutely depends upon the seven Spirits of God. On God’s side there is the Spirit of God, which is the seven Spirits of God, but on our side there must be our spirit. It is not sufficient simply to see the seven Spirits of God. We still need to see that we have a spirit. God has seven eyes shining upon us, and we have a spirit within us.
Zechariah 12:10 says, “I will pour out on the house of David…the Spirit of grace and of supplications.” In 12:1 our spirit is mentioned, and then in verse 10 the Spirit of God is mentioned. Our spirit is like a receiving vessel, and the Spirit of God is like rain poured out. If we would read the book of Zechariah as a whole, we would see that the building of the temple typifies the building of the church today. We would see that God’s building on earth depends upon the pouring out of His Spirit. Moreover, His Spirit in His building is the seven Spirits, the seven lamps, and the seven eyes. We can receive such a Spirit by the spirit within us.
Revelation 1:4 says, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.” Grace comes from the seven Spirits to the seven churches.
Verses 10 and 11 say, “I was in spirit on the Lord’s Day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” John first mentioned the seven Spirits, and then he said, “I was in spirit.” Today we all must say, “O Lord, the seven Spirits are here, and we are also in our spirit.” This is sufficient, and this is the church life.
ENJOYING THE SPIRIT TO BECOME STONES FOR BUILDING
Revelation 2:17 says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and to him I will give a white stone.” What is this white stone? This white stone is us! When we eat the hidden manna, the element of Christ as the stone enters into us. Consequently, we become stones. Therefore, the Lord will give us a sign—a stone. This indicates that we are stones in God’s eyes. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who hears is an overcomer, and he who overcomes will enjoy Christ as the stone with seven eyes. The essence of the stone will get into him. You are what you eat. If you eat fish, you will smell like fish. If you eat beef, you will gradually smell like a cow. What you eat becomes you. Our eating Christ as the hidden manna is for the building, in which Christ is a stone. Christ is the manna for our eating, and He is the stone for God’s building. What we take in is manna, but eventually the essence of the stone transforms us into stones. Therefore, the Lord will give us a stone, signifying that we are stones.
Revelation 3:12 begins, “He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God.” The overcomer is no longer just a stone, but the stone has become a pillar built into the temple of God. What is the temple of God? The temple of God is the church. “And he shall by no means go out anymore, and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My new name” (v. 12b). Ultimately, the church becomes the New Jerusalem.
This is the Lord’s recovery today. This recovery depends on our touching the Spirit as the seven Spirits and the seven lamps in our spirit. If we open ourselves daily, then the essence of the stone will get into us. We will be transformed and will enter into the building. This is the coming New Jerusalem. The Spirit of God is the seven lamps, and the church is the seven lampstands. Therefore, the church is the development of the seven Spirits, and the church is entirely a matter in the spirit.
(The Revelation of the Mystery, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)
