THE FOURTH PART: THE PATHWAY OF THE LORD’S RECOVERY
The God-ordained Way
Message Six—The Burning of the Fire of Life and the Watering of the Water of Life to Bring In a Vital and Revived Living
Scripture Reading: Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7, 9; Rev. 22:1-2; John 7:38-39; Prov. 4:18; 2 Tim. 2:22
I. The unique purpose of God in the universe is to make man exactly the same as He is; this is the unique subject of the Bible; according to this unique subject, the Bible has a consistent line, which is the line of life—Gen. 1:26-27; John 12:24; Rev. 22:1-2:
A. The unique purpose of God’s being in us is to work in us to the extent that we would be the same as He is in life, nature, image, and radiance—Gen. 1:26.
B. The consistent line in the Bible is life; apart from life, there is no other way for God to accomplish this goal of making man the same as He is; only through the way of life can God’s life be wrought into man to operate, transform, and cause a metabolic reaction in man, so that man may be transformed and become the same as God—2 Cor. 3:18:
1. After God created man, He put man in front of the tree of life; this indicates that God wanted man to be the same as He by means of this life; once the tree of life enters into man, it becomes a river of living water that waters and transforms man and eventually brings forth the gold, pearl and precious stones; this is the story in Genesis 2.
2. Then in chapter three, before the tree of life could enter into Adam, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil came into him; in this way, the river of water of life disappeared, and what emerged was the sword of fire (3:24); originally, in front of the tree of life was a river of living water, but due to Adam’s fall, something of Satan entered into man, and the river of water of life became a flame.
C. Ever since that time, this river sometimes appears as a flame and sometimes as water; its condition varies greatly; hence, from the throne of God proceeds a river that is sometimes the water of life that gives life and sometimes a flame that burns and kills—John 7:38-39; Rev. 22:1; 21:6b; Gen. 3:24; Dan. 7:9-10; Luck 12:49:50:
1. This river is sometimes fire and sometimes water; the water and the fire are one; they are the Spirit of God; this life is water, this life is fire, and this life is also the Holy Spirit.
2. The fire in Luke 12 is the Lord’s life; John said that the Lord’s life is water, and Luke said that the Lord’s life is fire; they are one life, but sometimes this life is water and other times it is fire.
3. In the first two chapters of Genesis, before Satan came into the scene, this river was a river of water; then at the end of Revelation, in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two, after Satan is terminated, this river is also a river of water; where Satan is, this life is fire, and where Satan is not, this life is water.
II. We need experiencing the watering of the water of life and the burning of the fire of life—John 7:38-39; Rev. 22:1; 21:6b; Gen. 3:24; Dan. 7:9-10; Luck 12:49:50:
A. Water refers to God’s life watering us and transforming us inwardly, and fire refers to God’s life burning, purging, and eliminating everything of Satan in us; these are the two aspects of the function of God’s life in us—Heb. 6:8.
B. The water of life enters into us and flows God’s nature and content into us; this water supplies us and waters us, flowing God’s riches and content into us—John 7:38-39; Rev. 22:1.
C. On the other hand, when this flow of life enters into us, it has another function—the function of fire; the fire burns away the world, sin, and the flesh in us, which are of Satan—Mal. 4:1; 2 Thes. 1:6; Heb. 6:8.
D. When our inner being is pure, and we reject evil and do not mind the flesh, the water flows through us to water and supply us in order that we would be fresh, bright, strong, at peace, and satisfied; however, when the things of Satan—the world, sins, and the flesh—hang on us, the life in us is like fire burning in us.
E. The burning lamps of fire becoming the flowing rivers of water; at the beginning of Revelation are the seven burning lamps of fire, but at the end of Revelation the lamps of fire are no more; instead, there is a flowing river of water—Rev. 4:5:
1. When we first came into the church, we sensed that there was light here, and we sensed the shining of the light; however, after being in the church for a period of time, we sense that the shining light becomes a burning fire; if we continue to remain in the church and allow this light to shine on us and this fire to burn us, after such constant shining and burning, the fire turns into the water of life flowing in us.
2 It is only when we enter into these subjective experiences that we have first the seven shining lamps, then the seven lamps of fire, and then the lamps of fire becoming a river. There is a river of water of life flowing in us for us to be watered, saturated, and supplied and for us to supply others.
III. We should all have a new beginning before God every morning, a beginning that is different from the past; today is a new revival, and every morning we need to have a revived living—Psa. 119:147-148:
A. Day by day we need a fresh consecration and a direct touch with the Lord by which we speak to Him and He speaks to us; every morning we should allow the Lord Jesus, our Sun, to rise up in us so that we can be renewed—Lev. 6:12-13; Mal. 4:2; Psa. 119:147-148; Prov. 4:18.
B. We must rise up in the morning to contact the Lord through His Word; in addition, whether we are young or old, we must make a schedule that is according to our environment, family, job, and other factors in our lives; the schedule should include when to go to bed and when to wake up; this will give us a regulated living—Prov. 4:18.
C. Before getting out of bed, we should call on the Lord; following this, we should read a short portion of the Lord’s Word; we should read at least two verses from the Bible, pray-reading the verses, reading by praying—Prov. 4:18; Eph. 6:17-18.
IV. We need to flee youthful lusts and pursue Christ in the Body and for the Body with God-given companions, “with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart”—2 Tim. 2:22; Eccl. 4:9-12:
A. You could contact three persons in the morning; you could contact the same three persons every morning to pray-read with them, fellowship with them, and enjoy Christ with them in a very brief way—Lam. 3:22-23; Psa. 119:117.
B. Within three months each person can be contacted at least eighty times; after three months of this kind of consistent contact, these ones can be gained for the Lord’s interest—Eph. 3:18; 2 Tim. 2:22.
V. “Today in the church we should have this kind of testimony and this kind of living. Among us we should have not only the lamps shining and the fire burning but also the living water flowing. When fire is needed, there is fire, and when water is needed, there is water, but fire is not the goal; it is the procedure. Water is the goal. The ultimate goal of the church is that people are brought into the flow of the living water.” (The Ultimate Significance of the Golden Lampstand, msg. 6)
Ministry Excerpts:
THE CONSISTENT LINE IN THE BIBLE BEING LIFE
The consistent line in the Bible is life. Apart from life, there is no other way for God to accomplish this goal of making man the same as He is. Only through the way of life can God’s life be wrought into man to operate, transform, and cause a metabolic reaction in man, so that man may be transformed and become the same as God.
In Genesis 1 when man is mentioned, the image of God is also mentioned (v. 26). Then in chapter two when man is mentioned again, immediately life is mentioned (v. 7). Only when God’s life enters into man can man have the genuine image of God. Only when God’s life enters into man can man be the same as God in nature, appearance, radiance, and color. Thus, Genesis 1 and 2 mention the image of God on the one hand and the life of God on the other. In chapter two after God created man, He put man in front of the tree of life. This indicates that God wanted man to be the same as He by means of this life. For man to be the same as God in nature, appearance, radiance, and color, he must allow God’s life to enter into him.
The city of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 is composed of jasper and precious stones, signifying that we redeemed ones are jasper and precious stones. In Genesis 2, however, the Adam who was created by God and who was in the garden of Eden was a man of clay, a muddy man. Many people, after being saved, admire the condition of Adam in the garden of Eden, but they do not realize that the Adam who was in the garden of Eden did not have the life of God. In other words, he was merely clay, not gold or precious stone.
THE WATER OF LIFE AND THE FIRE OF LIFE
God put Adam in front of the tree of life because He wanted Adam to eat of the tree of life and receive it into him. Once the tree of life enters into man, it becomes a river of living water that waters and transforms man and eventually brings forth the gold, pearl and precious stones. This is the story in Genesis 2. Although the gold and precious stones were the issue of the flow of life, they did not flow into Adam. Because God’s life had not entered into Adam, the gold, pearl, and precious stones were outside of Adam.
Then in chapter three the evil one came and caused Adam to contact the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before the tree of life could enter into Adam, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil came into him. In this way, the river of water of life disappeared, and what emerged was the sword of fire (3:24). Originally, in front of the tree of life was a river of living water (2:10), but due to Adam’s fall, something of Satan entered into man, and the river of water of life became a flame.
Revelation 4 mentions the throne of God and the seven lamps of fire before the throne. Then chapter twenty-two mentions the throne of God again, saying that there is a river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God. There are two main sections in Revelation. At the beginning, Revelation says that there is fire coming from the throne of God, and at the end, it says that there is water proceeding out of the throne of God (22:1). In Daniel 7 the vision that Daniel saw was the same as what John saw at the beginning of Revelation—a stream of fire issuing forth and coming out from the throne of God (vv. 9-10). However, at the end of Revelation, what comes forth from the throne is not fire but water.
After God created Adam, He put him before the tree of life. From the tree of life flowed a river that had four branches flowing in four directions—east, west, north, and south. The flowing of these four branches produced gold, pearl, and precious stones. The description of the New Jerusalem at the end of Revelation also mentions the tree of life and the river of water of life flowing through the four corners of the holy city. Furthermore, the materials of the city are pure gold, pearl, and precious stones, which are the same materials in the river in Genesis. In Genesis 2 the gold, pearl, and precious stones had not yet entered into Adam, the man of clay, but in Revelation 21 the man of clay is no longer there but has been completely transformed into pure gold, pearl, and precious stones.
In Genesis 2, if man had come to the tree of life, he would have touched the river. But in chapter three, after man’s fall, if man wanted to contact the tree of life, he would have touched the flaming sword that turned in every direction (v. 24). What is the flaming sword? The flaming sword does one thing—a killing work. It is both a flame and a sword, a sword and a flame. Its nature is a flame, and its function is to kill. In other words, if man had touched the tree of life in Genesis 2, he surely would have touched the river of life. But if man wanted to touch the tree of life in chapter three, he would have touched the flame that burns and kills man. Thus, there was a flaming sword. Ever since that time, this river sometimes appears as a flame and sometimes as water. Its condition varies greatly. Hence, from the throne of God proceeds a river that is sometimes the water of life that gives life and sometimes a flame that burns and kills.
In John 7 the Lord came in order to give man the living water. He said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water” (vv. 37b-38). The Lord has given His life to man as living water. In chapter four the Lord also answered the Samaritan woman with the eternal life. He said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water gushing up into eternal life” (v. 14). What the Lord meant was that the eternal life is the living water.
LIFE BEING FIRE WHERE SATAN IS
AND BEING WATER WHERE SATAN IS NOT
When this river, which is the Spirit of God or the life of God, flows out, it is sometimes water and sometimes fire. When is it water, and when is it fire? In the first two chapters of Genesis, before Satan came into the scene, this river was a river of water. Then at the end of Revelation, in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two, after Satan is terminated, this river is also a river of water. Then when does this flow become fire? Apparently, wherever Satan is, this flow of life is fire, and wherever Satan is not, this flow of life is water. Where Satan is, this life is fire, and where Satan is not, this life is water.
Before Genesis 3 this flow was water, and in Revelation 21 and 22, this flow is also water. From Genesis 3 to Revelation 20 this flow is both fire and water. Fire was mentioned in Genesis 3 for the first time. After Revelation 21:8 there is no further mention of fire because Satan, death, and Hades have already been cast into the lake of fire.
THE TWO ASPECTS OF LIFE—
THE WATERING OF THE WATER AND
THE BURNING OF THE FIRE
Water refers to God’s life watering us and transforming us inwardly, and fire refers to God’s life burning, purging, and eliminating everything of Satan in us. These are the two aspects of the function of God’s life in us. On the one hand, the water of life enters into us and flows God’s nature and content into us. This water supplies us and waters us, flowing God’s riches and content into us. The gold, pearl, and precious stones in Genesis 2 are the issue of the flow of life. Wherever the water flows, there is gold, pearl, and precious stones. These are the contents of God’s life.
It is through the flow of the water of life that the content, color, radiance, appearance, and nature of God’s life can enter into man. When this life flows into us, it flows God’s content into us to supply us. The more God’s life passes through us and the stronger the flow, the more gold, pearl, and precious stones there are, and the more God’s nature, color, radiance, and appearance increase in us. This is the watering, supplying, and transforming aspect of the flowing of life in us.
On the other hand, when this flow of life enters into us, it has another function—the function of fire. Hence, this flow is also fire. What is the function of fire? Fire burns, consumes, and eliminates things. Why is there a need for burning? It is because Satan has come in. Due to man’s fall, Satan brought in the world, sin, the flesh, and many things that belong to him and that oppose God. Consequently, man has become impure and complicated. He is full of Satan, the world, sin, and the flesh. On the one hand, God’s life flows His nature, appearance, radiance, and color into us to supply us and transform us from men of clay to men of gold. On the other hand, because the world, sin, the flesh, and everything of Satan have entered into us, when the life flows into us, it is like fire burning in us.
EXPERIENCING THE WATERING OF THE WATER OF LIFE
AND THE BURNING OF THE FIRE OF LIFE
The Spirit is one, and this life also is one, but in the matter of supplying, this life is sometimes like water and sometimes like fire. When this life waters and supplies us inwardly, it enables us to touch the presence of God and transforms us so that our mind, emotion, and will are like God’s. At the same time, this life also burns in us, burning away our flesh, self, and corruption.
In our actual experience, many times we feel that this life in us is like water that quenches our thirst. When we are thirsty, He is there watering us, and when we are weak, He is there empowering us. In this way we experience the presence of God so that what we think, what we love, what we incline to, and what we desire match the condition of God. Then our inner being is comfortable, satisfied, living, fresh, bright, strong, and powerful. This is the issue of the supply of the water of life and the condition of our being filled with the water.
Sometimes, however, the Spirit as the fire burns in us, making us sorrowful and uncomfortable so that we grieve and abhor ourselves on the one hand and desperately want to do something for the Lord on the other. More than twenty years ago, for several months I went to pray on a hill every morning. At that time the fire was especially burning within me, and I would pray and weep at the same time. On the one hand, I was willing to live for the Lord and preach the gospel for the Lord, but on the other hand, I abhorred myself, feeling that I was so corrupted and that every bad thing or matter in the world was in me. This was the taste of the fire burning in me. In this way I had a genuine repentance and confession.
Today we have not yet arrived at Revelation 21; we have still not come to chapter twenty. We still have sins, the flesh, the world, and many things of Satan in us. Hence, this life is always burning in us as fire. After the burning, the water comes. Our experience is always like this—the more burning there is, the more our inner being is living, fresh, and bright, and the more peace, satisfaction, and comfort we have.
Hence, after the burning of the fire, the water comes. The water and the fire are not two rivers but one. One day there will no longer be fire. Everything of Satan will be terminated in us. This will be our transfiguration, in which we will be delivered from our flesh and the old creation. When everything of Satan is put off in us, there will no longer be fire; instead there will be water proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. When this water flows out, it is the Spirit, and when it flows into us, it is life.
Today eternity has not yet arrived, but we can have a foretaste of the eternal power. May the Lord have mercy on us that while we are still living on the earth, we would be living in spiritual reality and in a spiritual condition, being able to see one thing—whether it be fire or water—coming out of God and passing through the Lamb. That which comes from God and the Lamb is the Spirit, and the Spirit enters into us as life, the life of God. This life is sometimes like fire that burns us and sometimes like water that waters us. When we are pure inwardly, He is the water of supply, but when there is mixture in us, He is the burning fire. May we all see these two aspects of life—the watering of the water and the burning of the fire. (Spiritual Reality, msg. 17)