XXXII. SPEAKING AS THE LORD
The Spirit speaks as the Lord. In Revelation 2 and 3, at the beginning of each of the seven epistles it is the Lord who speaks (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14), but at the end of each epistle it is the Spirit who speaks to the churches (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Thus, the Spirit is one with the Lord in speaking, speaking as the Lord. Speaking is a great function of the all-inclusive Spirit.
XXXIII. SHINING AND BURNING
AS THE SEVEN LAMPS OF FIRE
BEFORE GOD’S THRONE
The Spirit shines and burns as the seven lamps of fire before God’s throne (Rev. 4:5b). The seven lamps of fire being before God’s throne means that the fire in the lamps is shining and burning to carry out God’s divine and spiritual administration.
XXXIV. OBSERVING AND TRANSFUSING
AS THE SEVEN EYES OF GOD
The Spirit is observing and transfusing as the seven eyes of God (Rev. 5:6b). The Spirit as the seven lamps of fire is also the seven eyes of God, of Christ. Christ looks at us with His eyes to observe us, and when He observes us, He transfuses Himself into us with all of His feelings and sentiment. This is the Spirit’s function. When we look at the Lord, allowing Him to look at us, He observes us and transfuses us with what He intends to say or to do.
XXXV. SPEAKING WITH THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE
The all-inclusive Spirit speaks with the church as the bride (Rev. 22:17a). The consummated Spirit of God, who is the consummated God, becomes the Bridegroom to marry the bride, the church. This marriage is a union between the processed and consummated Triune God and the transformed and glorified tripartite man. The processed and consummated Triune God and the church as the bride become a universal couple.
In Revelation 2 and 3, it was the Spirit speaking to the churches. At the end of Revelation, it is the Spirit and the bride, the church, speaking together as one. This indicates that the church’s experience of the Spirit has improved to the extent that she has become one with the Spirit, who is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God.
(The Christian Life, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
