THE SPIRIT IN REVELATION
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." The seven Spirits in verse 4 indicate that, at the end of the Bible, the drinking of the living water is intensified. Revelation 4:5 says, "And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders; and seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." In this verse the Spirit whom we drink becomes the burning Spirit. Revelation 5:6 says, "And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth." The living water becomes the burning Spirit, and the burning Spirit becomes the seeing Spirit. The Spirit as the seven eyes of the Lamb is for observing and infusing.
As we have seen, the last mention of the Spirit in Revelation is in 22:17. According to the context of the book of Revelation, the Spirit in Revelation 22:17 is the consummated, sevenfold Spirit.
ENJOYING THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT
BY REMAINING IN OUR SPIRIT
Just as in the Old Testament, the Spirit is mentioned at the beginning of the New Testament. Luke 1:35 says, "And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; wherefore also the holy thing which is born will be called, Son of God." Matthew 1:20 says, "But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit." In Genesis 1 the Spirit was brooding upon the death waters, but in the New Testament He came again to visit a human virgin to produce Jesus as the tree of life. Just as Genesis 1:2 shows us the beginning of God’s work in the old creation, Luke 1:35 and Matthew 1:20 show us the beginning of God’s work in the new creation. The first work of creation produced the living things. The Spirit’s work in the new creation produced Jesus Christ among the human race as the tree of life for us to take and enjoy.
After He passed through death and resurrection, Christ became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b). This life-giving Spirit is also the tree of life. After the Lord’s ascension, the gospel was preached so that we could receive Christ as the life-giving Spirit and be baptized into the Father, the Son, and the consummation of the Triune God, the Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Now we are in the consummated Spirit, and this consummated Spirit is in our spirit.
John 3:6 says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Romans 8:16 says, "The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God." Revelation 1:10 says, "I was in spirit on the Lord’s day." We saved ones, the regenerated sons of God, must be in our human spirit in order to enjoy the consummated, life-giving Spirit. We should always be in spirit. Sometimes when I am talking with a brother or I am about to complain about something, I am reminded to consider whether or not I am in my spirit. We need to be reminded of our spirit again and again. As long as we are in our spirit, we are in a right condition.
We have been made with three parts: spirit, soul, and body. The highest standard for the human life is to always remain in our human spirit. If a man lives in his body, he will be wild, rough, and full of lusts. If a man lives in his soul, he will be better, but he will be a natural man—logical, considerate, careful, and thoughtful. To live in the soul is not as bad as living in the body. However, when a man comes back to his spirit and remains in the spirit, he is living by the highest standard. Every time we come back to our spirit and remain there, we are right with our wife or husband, our parents, children, neighbors, classmates, colleagues, and the brothers and sisters in the church life. We are right in every way, in every matter, and with every person, and we are living by the highest standard.
(Messages to the Trainees in Fall 1990, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee)
