Search
Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is also a consuming fire.” Revelation 4:2-3a says, “Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting; and He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.” Verse 5 continues, “And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” This verse speaks of seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Then in chapter 5, verse 6 says, “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 just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” This verse says that a Lamb was standing before the throne of God and that the Lamb has seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. Chapter 4 says that the seven Spirits of God are the seven lamps of fire, but here it says that the seven Spirits are the seven eyes of the Lamb. This verse also tells us that these seven Spirits are sent forth into all the earth.
Revelation 1:13a says, “In the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet.” The lampstands in this verse refer to the churches. In the midst of the lampstands, the churches, there is One like the Son of Man. Then verse 14 follows, “And His head and hair were as white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout all the earth to strengthen those whose heart is perfect toward Him.” From this verse we can see that the eyes of Jehovah are running to and fro throughout all the earth.
On the one hand, Christ has ascended to heaven, but on the other hand, He has come to tens of thousands of people as the Holy Spirit. How can Christ be in heaven while at the same time be the Holy Spirit? We have to know that after the Lord’s death and resurrection, the age of the Holy Spirit began. In other words, after the Lord ascended to heaven, He came to the earth through the Holy Spirit to reach all who believe in Him. Hence, from His ascension to His second coming, this period of time is called the age of the Holy Spirit.
How does the Lord work on the earth in the age of the Holy Spirit? We all know that after the Lord’s ascension, the Holy Spirit descended. Today the Holy Spirit, who is omnipresent, is working in the hearts of thousands of people. He is like the electric radio waves that cover the whole earth. The Bible does not tell us much about the situation in heaven after the Lord’s ascension. At the end of the four Gospels it says only that the Lord has ascended to heaven; as for the situation in heaven after His ascension or what He is doing in heaven, there is no detailed account. However, we must thank the Lord that there are two chapters in the Bible that specifically record the situation in heaven after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension. These two chapters are Revelation 4 and 5.
The first three chapters of Revelation speak of the various situations of the churches. In the midst of the churches on the earth, Christ is walking as the Son of Man in the midst of the golden lampstands. How can the Lord Jesus walk in the midst of the golden lampstands? Today the church that we are in is one of the many golden lampstands. I deeply believe that the Lord is walking among us. However, how does He walk among us? The Lord is with the church, but we can neither see this with our eyes nor touch it with our hands. In Matthew 28 the Lord clearly promised that even though He would ascend to heaven, He would still be with the disciples. He promised that He would be with them not only for one time or in a temporary way but all the days until the consummation of the age—until the time that He comes back. Therefore, the Lord’s being with His disciples after His ascension is from the time of His ascension until His coming again. This is the promise that the Lord personally gave to the disciples at His ascension. Since He made such a promise, He surely will fulfill it. The situation of the church over the past two thousand years testifies that the ascended Lord has never left the church. He has been with the church the entire time.
Some people may ask, “How can the Lord be with the church? How can the Lord walk among the churches? Is He among us now?” Outwardly, we may say that the Lord is not with the church or with us because we cannot see Him or touch Him. However, the Lord clearly said that He is with the church. On the day the apostle John was on the island of Patmos, he saw the vision of the seven golden lampstands, which refer to the seven churches. We say that the church is a lampstand because a lampstand is a luminary that shines in darkness, and the church is a shining lamp in this age of darkness. In this world of darkness the church is shining as a lamp, and Jesus Christ is walking in the midst of these seven lampstands, the churches. The apostle John saw this vision. Hence, not only did the Lord promise that His presence would be with the church, but the apostle John also saw it.
Revelation 4 and 5 show us the Christ in heaven, and the first three chapters of Revelation show us the Christ in the church. The Christ in the church is the Christ in heaven. Today the Christ on earth is in the midst of His churches. Therefore, on the one hand, Christ is in heaven, and on the other hand, Christ is on earth, walking among His churches.
After the apostle John saw the vision of the church, he saw the scene in the heavens. The first thing he saw was the throne as the center of the universe (4:2). He saw the throne in heaven, and upon the throne God was sitting and administrating the whole universe. The throne of God is the center of the universe; everything that happens in the universe begins at the throne. In John’s vision lightnings and thunders came forth out of the throne (v. 5). This shows that everything that happens in the universe is governed by the throne. There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. When a car is running at night, it requires two headlights, and the two headlights are like the two eyes of the car. Similarly, at the center of the universe, the throne of God, there are seven lamps of fire. God is Spirit, and the seven lamps of fire that come out of the throne of God are the seven Spirits of God.
Upon reading this portion of the Word, some people may ask, “Does God have seven Spirits? God is the Triune God. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one God. God is one, and He is Spirit, so the Spirit is also one. Since this is the case, why then does Revelation speak of the seven Spirits of God?” Revelation speaks of the seven Spirits of God because there are seven lamps of fire shining before the throne, and the lamps are the Spirit, so these seven lamps of fire are the seven Spirits of God. Hebrews 12:29 says that our God is a consuming fire. On the one hand, God is Spirit, and on the other hand, God is a consuming fire. The Spirit can be likened to electricity. Just as electricity is expressed in a lamp, so also the Spirit shines through each lamp as fire. Hence, these lamps are lamps of fire. The Bible says that God is Spirit and also that God is a consuming fire. God’s shining forth is a lamp of fire, and this lamp of fire is His Spirit. This picture in Revelation shows us that the God who is Spirit is also the God of consuming fire and that when this God comes forth in His Spirit, He is a lamp of fire shining upon man and the universe. When the seven lamps of fire before the throne of God eventually shine upon the entire universe, the darkness in the universe will vanish.
Revelation 4 reveals that since God is a consuming fire, His shining forth is like a lamp. In chapter 5 there is a Lamb before the throne of God, and this Lamb has seven eyes. Verse 6 includes the statement, “Seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God.” The seven eyes of the Lamb are the seven Spirits of God. This means that God in the Lamb comes forth through the Spirit. First, we see the throne and the coming forth of God Himself as the Spirit, who is a consuming fire and lamps of fire. This is the first picture. Then we see that between God and the seven lamps of fire stands a Lamb who has seven eyes and that these seven eyes are the seven lamps of fire, the seven Spirits. Revelation 4 and 5 mention three “sevens.” Chapter 5 mentions that the seven eyes of the Lamb are the seven Spirits of God, and chapter 4 says that the seven lamps of fire are also the seven Spirits of God. Together these two chapters mention the seven lamps of fire, the seven eyes, and the seven Spirits. The seven lamps in chapter 4 are the seven Spirits, and the seven eyes in chapter 5 are also the seven Spirits. Hence, the seven lamps in chapter 4 are the seven eyes in chapter 5. The seven lamps before the throne are the seven eyes of the Lamb. The two are one. Both are the seven Spirits of God.
When we read Revelation, we cannot read it literally; rather, we have to read it like we would a poetic, idyllic painting. Revelation 4 shows us a picture of the throne. Out of the throne come forth the seven lamps of fire, the seven Spirits of God. Then in chapter 5 we see that in the midst of the throne there is “a Lamb standing as having just been slain” (v. 6). As having just been slain refers to death, and standing refers to resurrection. The fact that the Lamb, who is described as having just been slain, is standing in the midst of the throne shows that although He has just been slain, He also has been resurrected. The Lamb also has seven eyes, and these seven eyes are the seven Spirits of God. Thus, we can see that the seven lamps are the seven eyes of the Lamb. This indicates that when God shines Himself forth, He is seven lamps of fire and that when Christ diffuses the shining forth of God, He is the seven eyes of the Lamb. We also see that these seven eyes are the seven Spirits of God.
Fire is fearful, but if fire becomes a lamp, it is no longer fearful. Moreover, if the lamp becomes an eye, it is even less fearful. The eyes are the most attractive part of a person’s countenance. Our God is a consuming fire, but when He comes to have a relationship with man, and when He comes forth through His Spirit, He is like a lamp of fire that shines on us and is to us whatever we need. Moreover, after Christ’s death and resurrection He ascended to God, and His seven lamps became the seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. Revelation further tells us that these seven Spirits are sent forth into all the earth. In other words, the seven Spirits are the seven eyes of the Lamb, the seven eyes of the Lamb are the lamps of the fire of God, and the lamps of the fire of God are the consuming fire of God, which is God Himself. The fire shines forth from the lamps, the lamps are diffused through the eyes, this diffusion is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is sent forth into all the earth. This is what is revealed in Revelation 4 and 5.
This is the process by which the Spirit of God enters into man to have a relationship with man. We must be clear that on the one hand, God is Spirit, and on the other hand, God is a consuming fire. When He comes forth, He comes forth in the way of shining, not in the way of burning. Not only so, God also has passed through death and resurrection to become the seven eyes of the slain and resurrected Lamb. Whomever the Lamb sees, He shines upon and reaches as the Spirit, who is sent forth into all the earth. Whomever the Spirit visits, God enlightens, and whomever the Spirit enlightens, God reaches. Hence, when God reaches man, He comes as the Spirit to care for man and the fire to enlighten man.
This is the process through which God works on the earth after Christ’s resurrection. For example, before a brother encounters any particular difficulties in his life, he may never think about the Lord or love the Lord. He may remain cold toward the Lord, sometimes attending the meetings and sometimes not attending the meetings. Though he may not commit any great mistakes, his condition may remain somewhat abnormal. One day, however, if this brother encounters a big problem that he is unable to handle, he may spontaneously have the feeling within that the eyes of God are looking at him. If he does have this experience, his inner being will be enlightened, and because of this light, he will have the inner sense that he has committed certain mistakes. When we pray and fellowship with the Lord in the morning, we often have this kind of feeling within—the feeling that God’s eyes are looking directly at us from the throne. The look from God’s eyes is bright and radiant. It awakens us and warms us up. All saved ones have had this kind of experience.
If we visit someone, this means that we care for him. If we do not care for someone, we will not look at him or visit him. When we care for someone, we begin by looking at him. Then once we look at him, we are full of feeling for him, and when our feeling is expressed to him, he will have a sense of warmth and will feel happy that we have visited him. When we are in the midst of a difficult situation and are without a way to get out of it, within us there is a beam of light connecting us to heaven, where there are eyes looking at us from the throne. The eyes that are looking at us are like shining lamps of fire. God’s looking is His shining. By this looking and shining, we are enlightened, and we sense what we have done wrong and sense in which matters we have sinned. The result of our being enlightened is that we immediately sense that the Holy Spirit is moving within us and filling us. Once the Holy Spirit moves within us and fills us, He is like a fire burning within us. The eyes look at us, the lamps of fire enlighten us, and the Holy Spirit comes to visit us. When the Holy Spirit comes to visit us, He is like a consuming fire. This is the process by which God works on us and in us today.
This is why in our experience we are able to sense that there are always eyes looking at us from the throne. When we are having morning revival or reading the Bible, and even when we are indifferent toward God, strangely, the eyes from the throne are looking at us. They are invisible, yet they seem almost visible. We can definitely sense that there are eyes in heaven looking at us, lamps of fire shining upon us, and the Holy Spirit moving in us, filling us, and burning within us. We experience the looking, the shining, the filling, and the burning. When all these experiences come to us, we sense that we are full of the presence of God, full of the presence of Christ.
While I was at a summer camp in 1932, one morning after everyone had gone to the meeting, I stayed behind in my room and studied a spiritual book. After reading a particular sentence, although outwardly I did not feel that I had been greatly affected by it, inwardly I had the sense that I was connected to the throne in heaven and that there were eyes looking at me from the throne. Eventually, I could not read my book anymore. I stopped and looked up at the ceiling, and as I did so, inwardly I saw into the heavens. I clearly sensed within that there were eyes looking at me, calling me, and saying to me, “Turn to Me,” so I put my book aside and said within myself, “O Lord, You are right. I must turn to You.” Once I said this, I was no longer able to sit peacefully, so I stood up. When I stood up, I sensed that the eyes in heaven were still looking at me. Then I said within myself again, “O Lord, You are right. I must turn to You.” After saying this, the feeling within me became stronger, so I knelt down before my bed and prayed, “O Lord, You are right. I must turn to You.” After praying this, I was enlightened within, and I prayed to the Lord based on this shining. The more I prayed, the more I sensed the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the more joyful I became. I felt like I was being burned by fire, and there was an energy driving me from within.
As I prayed in my room that day, I did not know what realm I was in. I simply sensed that I was directly before God. As I prayed with my eyes closed, I felt that God was in the room. Inwardly, I was touching God and was connected to the heavens. I did not know why, but at that time I simply sensed a sweetness within, so I prayed, “O Lord, I do not want the world; I just want to follow You. I want to be a preacher.”
As I went home after the summer camp had ended, I felt like I was flying. From that time on, my mother, my wife, my brother, and my sister-in-law would often say, “This person is captivated. Even while he eats, his eyes are looking toward the heavens. Look at how joyful he is!” I was full of joy every day, and there was a fire burning within me.
I had this experience at the end of June in 1932, and in the middle of July, two weeks later, God worked in the environment and sent someone to look for me and meet with me. On one Thursday we had four people meeting together, a week later ten met with us, and on the third week eleven of us met together for the Lord’s table. During that time I was living in the heavens. I was filled with joy, and there was a fire burning within me every day. In that period of time I did not dare to sing hymns on the love of the Lord Jesus, because whenever I sang hymns about the Lord’s love, I shed tears, and whenever I sang hymns about the death of the Lord Jesus, I wept. I continually had the inward sense that there were still so many people who did not know the Lord’s death and had not received the Lord’s love. This experience, in which such a fire burned within me, is beyond description.
Those who are in such a situation do not need anyone to exhort them to love God and man and to not love the world. The fire within them will burn in them and make them humble and meek. They will not only love people but will also bring them to salvation. Our experience of the presence of God begins with the eyes from heaven looking at our inner being. This is the shining of the lamps of fire. Then when the lamps of fire shine in us, they burn within us, and the Spirit moves in us. Eventually, the fire is both the lamp and the Spirit, and the Spirit is God Himself. This is the process by which God is with us.
During China’s War of Resistance against Japan, I was imprisoned by the Japanese for preaching the gospel in northern China. While I was in prison, I prayed every day. The Japanese put me into a cell together with a Greek man. This man belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church, and we enjoyed our conversations very much. When he asked me why I had been imprisoned, I told him that I had been imprisoned for preaching Jesus. For this reason he respected me very much and asked me to pray with him regularly. Twenty days later he was released, and I was left alone. On that day I knelt down to pray by myself. Once I knelt down, the eyes in heaven shone on me like a beam of light. Tears fell from my eyes, and a hymn welled up within me. As I began to sing, I felt that the Lord was right there with me. I was inwardly connected to the heavens, and I did not have any feeling of loneliness or suffering. At that time, even though I was in prison, I was full of praises and joy as though I were in the heavens.
This experience was not the result of someone exhorting or teaching me; rather, it was the result of God in heaven shining into me through His Spirit, His eyes, to motivate me with the light and energy of His fire. This is the source of a Christian’s living. A Christian does not live by outward imitation but by the shining of the Spirit of God into him. We can say that this shining is the eyes, the lamps, the fire, or the Spirit. In short, God is the Spirit, and He is also a consuming fire. When He comes to us, the first thing He does is to look at us with His eyes. When He sees us, He shines on us; when He shines on us, He burns us; and when He burns us, He motivates us within. This is spiritual reality, and this is the Christian living.
In the past there was a female preacher in China whose name was Dora Yu. When she was around twenty years old, she decided to study medicine in England. On the day that her ship was approaching Marseilles, the Spirit of God reached her and burned in her. She sensed a voice within her, saying, “Go back! Go back! Do not go to England to study medicine.” The year that this happened was toward the end of the Ching Dynasty. At that time for a young lady who had been sent by her parents to England to study medicine to have such a feeling in the middle of her voyage was unthinkable. Nevertheless, she said to the captain, “I must land. I will not go to England.” Upon hearing this, the captain asked her, “What are you going to do when you go back to China?” She replied, “I have to go back to China to preach Jesus.” The ship had to continue its voyage, so they landed her in France, and from there she went back to China. When her family came to pick her up, they thought that she must have returned because she was ill. When they found that she was not sick, they scolded her. In response she told them, “There was a fire burning in me; the Holy Spirit was moving in me continually, urging me to preach the gospel.” No matter how much she explained, however, her parents still did not understand, and no matter how strongly her parents persuaded her, she could not be changed. Since her parents had no way to change her, they told her out of anger, “If Jesus wants you to preach Him, that is fine. We will go back home. You stay in Shanghai alone, and let Jesus take care of feeding you.”
After her parents left her, Dora Yu was alone by herself. As she was looking to God, He opened the way for her and prepared a flat for her on Broadway in Shanghai. It was there that she began to preach the gospel, and from that time on, God greatly used her. Those who were in Shanghai in 1948 testified that after Dora Yu’s preaching, every row of chairs in both the chapel and the hallway would be wet because of people’s tears. Many wept, repented, and were saved by her preaching. In those days few in China preached concerning regeneration. Dora Yu may have been the first one. Today in Christianity there are many great servants of God who were saved through her preaching.
When God works in man, He looks into man’s inner being. God’s eyes are His lamps of fire, and when these lamps of fire shine within a person, there is a burning within him. This burning is the moving of the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is God Himself, Christ Himself. The living, the path, and everything of a Christian come from this burning. They do not come from the teaching without but from this burning within. This is spiritual reality.
