Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (4)
Message Seven
The Spirit Speaking to the Churches, the One Who Has the Key of David, and the One Who Will Dine with the Overcomers
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture reading:
Rev. 3:7 And to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write: These things says the Holy One, the true One, the One who has the key of David, the One who opens and no one will shut, and shuts and no one opens:
I. In Revelation 2 and 3 Christ is the Spirit who speaks to all the churches—Rev. 2:1, 7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 29; 3:1, 6-7, 13-14, 22: (Monday)
A. In Revelation 2 and 3 the speaking of the unlimited, life-releasing, sevenfold intensified, pneumatic Christ to the seven churches at the beginning of each epistle respectively becomes the speaking of the sevenfold intensified, all-inclusive life-giving Spirit to all the seven churches at the end of each epistle universally—2:1, 7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 29; 3:1, 6-7, 13-14, 22.
————————————————————————
B. The speaking of the Spirit always turns us to the infusing of Christ; the Spirit’s speaking is Christ’s infusing—cf. 2 Cor. 3:16-18. (Tuesday)
C. Those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches should hear, and those who hear will be overcomers—Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.
————————————————————————
D. The Spirit’s speaking is regarding the seven kinds of churches in church history: the initial church, the suffering church, the worldly church, the apostate church, the reformed church, the recovered church, and the degraded recovered church; undoubtedly, only the recovered church can fulfill God’s eternal purpose, and only she is what the Lord is after; we must take the Lord’s choice—2:1—3:22. (Wednesday)
————————————————————————
II. In the recovered church, Christ is seen as the One upon whose shoulder the key of the house of God is set—Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7: (Thursday)
A. To the recovered church, Christ is the One who has the key of David, the key of the kingdom, with authority to open and to shut; the Lord has given the recovered church in the one accord an opened door that no one can shut—v. 8; cf. Psa. 133.
B. The key of David opens the door for us to be transformed into a white stone and built into the house of God as a pillar with the name of God, the name of the New Jerusalem, and the new name of the Lord—Rev. 2:17; 3:12.
————————————————————————
III. In the degraded recovered church, Christ is seen as the One who will dine with the overcomers and give the overcomers to sit with Him on His throne, as He overcame and sat with His Father on His throne—Rev. 3:20-21: (Friday)
————————————————————————
A. “He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne”; to sit with the Lord on His throne will be a prize to the overcomer, that he may participate in the Lord’s authority and be a co-king with Him in ruling over the whole earth in the coming millennial kingdom—Rev. 3:21; Luke 19:11-27; Matt. 25:21, 23. (Saturday)
B. God’s intention is to work Himself into man and to work on man in order that man can be on the throne; His desire is to make us people of the throne—Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 22:5; cf. Isa. 14:12-14.
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
… These things says the Holy One, the true One, the One who has the key of David, the One who opens and no one will shut, and shuts and no one opens—Rev. 3:7.
… if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me. He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches—vv. 20-22.
Word of Appetizer
Why is Christ as The Spirit speaking to the churches extremely important in the darkness of the church’s degradation?
This not only indicates that The Spirit is the Lord and the Lord is The Spirit, but also emphasizes that in the darkness of the church’s degradation, The Spirit is extremely important, as indicated by the sevenfold intensified Spirit in 1:4; the seven epistles in Revelation 2 and 3 are the words spoken by the Lord Jesus, but when we read these two chapters today, the seven Spirits of God, for the sake of God’s economy, speak these words to us in our spirit; the speaking of The Spirit always turns us to the transfusion of Christ; the speaking of The Spirit is the transfusion of Christ. He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches; by hearing, he will become an overcomer.
Spiritual Burden
The speaking of The Spirit always turns us to the transfusion of Christ; the speaking of The Spirit is the transfusion of Christ.
The key of David opens the door for us to be transformed into a white stone and to be built into the temple of God as a pillar, having the name of God, the name of the New Jerusalem, and the Lord’s new name.
God’s intention is to work Himself into man and to work on man so that man can be on the throne; His desire is to make us throne-people.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
In Revelation 2 and 3, Christ is The Spirit speaking to the churches.
In the recovered church (Philadelphia), Christ is the One who has on His shoulder the key (of the treasury) of the house of God (prefigured by the house of David for the building up of the kingdom of God).
In the recovered and yet degraded church, Christ is the One who will dine with the overcomers and grant the overcomers to sit with Him on the throne, as He also overcame and sat with His Father on His throne.
The Experience of Life
Whenever we hear the speaking of the seven Spirits of God to the churches, we are immediately under a precious, sweet, and intimate transfusion; this transfusion changes us, transforms us, and makes us suitable material to be built into God’s building.
By enjoying Christ as the tree of life, the hidden manna, and the feast, we will be constitutionally mingled with Him to become one entity as the New Jerusalem to express Him.
We have been called to be sons of God and are destined to be kings, but we need God to work in us and on us to qualify us to be kings.
Practice and Application
He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches; by hearing, he will become an overcomer; when The Spirit speaks to the churches, our ears must be opened, circumcised, cleansed, and anointed to hear The Spirit’s speaking.
To enjoy His riches as a treasury, we need to remain in contact with the Lord, being poor in spirit and pure in heart according to the sense of life to maintain contact with the Lord.
To enjoy His riches as a treasury, we need to learn to exercise the keys of denying the self, taking up the cross, and losing the soul-life; we all are “Shebnas” who should be removed and replaced by Christ so that He may be everything in us, and everything through us and for us.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 The Speaking Christ Became the Speaking Spirit (Rev. 2:1, 7)
(Please illustrate that the speaking of Christ and the speaking of The Spirit are one speaking.)
T2 The Speaking One Is Not the Outward, Objective Christ but the Inward, Subjective Spirit (Rev. 2:1, 7)
(Please illustrate from experience that The Spirit will speak into us the things that are of Christ.)
Day 2
T1 The Speaking of the Spirit Always Turns Us to the Infusion of Christ (Rev. 1:10, 12)
(Please illustrate from experience that this infusion will change us, transform us, make us suitable materials, and build us into God’s building.)
T2 In Spiritual Matters, Seeing Depends on Hearing (Rev. 1:10, 12)
(Please illustrate that the Lord is always willing to open our ears to hear His voice so that we can see things according to His economy.)
Day 3
T1 Of the Seven Churches in Revelation 2 and 3, the First Three Have Passed Away (Rev. 2:25; 3:11)
(Please illustrate the situation of the first three churches.)
T2 Of the Seven Churches in Revelation 2 and 3, the Last Four Still Exist Today (Rev. 2:25; 3:11)
(Please illustrate the situation of the last four churches.)
Day 4
T1 The Key of David Is the Key of God’s Entire Governing Authority (Rev. 3:7)
(Please illustrate that this key of the universe, the key of God’s economy, is in the Lord’s hand.)
T2 Christ Is the One Who Can Open to Us All the Riches of God Embodied in Him (Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7)
(Please illustrate that His opening and shutting are for one thing—the enjoyment of His riches as a treasure.)
Day 5
T1 The Lord as the Head of the Church Stands outside the Door of the Degraded Church and Knocks (Rev. 3:16, 20)
(Please illustrate that this door is the door of the church, but it needs to be opened by individual believers.)
T2 Christ Will Be the Tree of Life, the Hidden Manna, and the Rich Produce of the Good Land to the Overcomers (Rev. 3:20)
(Please illustrate how the three stages of eating mentioned in Revelation as the promised reward to the overcomers correspond to the three stages of eating by God’s people in the Old Testament.)
Day 6
T1 God’s Intention Is to Work on Man So That Man Can Be on the Throne (Rev. 3:21; 2:26-27)
(Please illustrate that we need to feast with the Lord in this age so that we may sit with the Lord on the throne in the age of the kingdom.)
T2 Seeing the Lord Jesus as the Forerunner Who Opened the Way to the Throne (Rev. 3:21)
(Please illustrate that God desires to manifest Himself through man and to reign and rule through man.)
