THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The Divine and Eternal Life
Message Six—the Stages of the Growth in Life
Scripture Reading: S. S. 1:2-4; 2:14; 4:8; 6:4; Ezek. 1:4; John 1:14, 29; 3:14; 6:35; 8:12; 9:5; 17:22-24; Rom. 3:9, 20, 24; 5:11-12, 19; 6:3-6; 7:18; 8:2, 4-6, 28-29, 12:2-5
I. The experience of life can be divided into four stages with a total of nineteen points; according to our experience, the first four stages may be designated as follows: the first stage may be called the salvation stage; the second, the revival stage; the third, the stage of the cross; and the fourth, the stage of spiritual warfare; but according to our relationship with Christ, these four stages should be designated in this way: the first stage, in Christ; the second, abiding in Christ; the third, Christ abiding in us; and the fourth, Christ fully grown in us—Col. 1:27; 3:4; 1 John 2:27; John 15:4-5; Eph. 4:13; Gal. 4:19.
II. In the book of Genesis, the records of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob overlap; Genesis does not portray them as three separate individuals but as constituents of one corporate person; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of the tabernacle—Exo. 40:34-35:
A. The experience of Abraham signifies the experience of God the Father, the unique source, in His calling man, justifying man, and equipping man to live by faith and to live in fellowship with Him—Gen. 12:1; 15:6; chs. 17—18; 19:29; 21:1-13; 22:1-18.
B. The experience of Isaac signifies the experience of God the Son in His redeeming man and His blessing man with the inheritance of all His riches, with a life of the enjoyment of His abundance, and with a life in peace—22:1-14; 25:5; 26:3-4, 12-33.
C. The experience of Jacob (with Joseph) signifies the experience of God the Father in His loving man and choosing man (Mal. 1:2; Rom. 9:10-13) and of God the Spirit in His working all things for the good of those who love Him, in His transforming man, and in His making man mature in the divine life that man may be able to bless all the people, rule over all the earth, and satisfy all the people with God the Son as the life supply—Gen. 27:41; 28:1-35:10; chs. 37, 39—49; Rom. 8:28-29.
D. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each lived in a tent; while they were living in tents, they were eagerly waiting for the eternal tabernacle of God, the city of New Jerusalem; the New Jerusalem, the eternal tent as the mutual abode for the redeeming God and His redeemed, will be the ultimate consummation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—Gen. 12:8; 13:18; 26:17, 25; 33:18; 35:21; Heb. 11:9-10; John 1:14; Rev. 21:2-3; 22.
III. The four stages of spiritual experience in this book: the stage of pursuit, the stage of the cross, the stage of ascension, and the stage of living in the Holy of Holies—1:2-4; 2:24; 4:8; 6:4:
A. The first stage—attracted by Christ and drawn by him to pursue after Him for full satisfaction—1:2-2:7:
1. This stage includes many things: yearning to be kissed by Christ; the fellowship in the inner chamber; entering into the church life by following the footsteps of the flock; being transformed by the remaking of the Spirit; and participating in Christ’s rest and satisfaction.
2. The seeker of Christ overcomes the attraction of the world by being attracted and captivated by Christ—1:2-4; Matt. 4:16-20; Luke 9:23-24; Heb. 12:2; 13:13; Hymns, #437.
B. The second stage is the call to be delivered from the self through the oneness with the cross; in brief, the second stage is the stage of the experience of the cross—S. S. 2:8-3:5:
1. When we pursue after Christ and become satisfied with the rest and enjoyment in Christ, we may become very occupied with and concerned about the self and thereby fall into introspection; thus, we need to experience the denying of the self and the breaking of the self by being one with the cross.
2. The lover of Christ overcomes the self, which secluded her from the presence of Christ, by becoming one with the cross of Christ.
C. The third stage is to be called by Christ to live in ascension as the new creation of God in the resurrection of Christ—3:6-5:1:
1. To live in ascension is to live continually in our spirit; when we live in our spirit, we are joined to the ascended Christ in the heavens—Eph. 2:22; Gen. 28:12-17; John 1:51; Rev. 4:1-2; Heb. 4:12.
2. The lover of Christ overcomes the old creation (the physical things) by living in the ascension of Christ in resurrection after her self has been dealt with by the cross; she becomes a new creation by her complete union with Christ—S. S. 3:6.
D. The fourth stage is to be called by Christ more strongly to live within the veil through His cross after the experience of His resurrection—5:2-6:13:
1. The lover of Christ overcomes the flesh, the natural man, the old man, by living within the veil; no matter how mature and spiritual we may become, as long as our body has not yet been transfigured, we still have the flesh, which is the veil—Heb. 10:19-20.
2. The lover of Christ is called by Him to live within the veil in the Holy of Holies, God Himself, to enjoy the processed and consummated Triune God embodied in Christ—Heb. 9:3-4.
IV. In the book Song of Songs eight figures signify eight stages of growth in life; the Lord’s description of His seeker with different figures illustrated the state the seeker, they indicate the growth in life and the transformation of life—1:9, 15; 2:2, 14; 3:6, 7, 9-11:
A. “I compare you, my love, / To a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots”; the mare signifies natural strength in a worldly way; this mare is used for the Egyptian king; you are seeking the Lord, but you drag the world behind you—1:9.
B. “Oh, you are beautiful, my love! / Oh, you are beautiful! Your eyes are like doves”; the dove signifies the Spirit; the doves’ eyes signify the insight, the understanding, and the realization of the Spirit; the doves’ eyes are the spiritual insights that come from continually gazing on the Lord and putting our trust in Him—1:15; Matt. 3:16.
C. “As a lily among thorns, / So is my love among the daughters”; a lily signifies a life lived wholly by faith; a lily is one of the Lord’s seeking ones who lives on this earth but not by this earth; by such a faith she becomes as pure as the white lilies—S. S. 2:2.
D. “My dove, in the clefts of the rock, / In the covert of the precipice’’; the clefts of the rock signify the cross; we must remain in the clefts of the rock; we must stay in His crucifixion; we must also stay in the covert of the precipice, where we experience the Lord’s ascension—v. 14; Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4; Gal. 2:20; Psalm 91:1.
E. “Who is she who comes up from the wilderness / Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, / With all the fragrant powders of the merchant?” —S. S. 3:6:
1. The seeker to be a pillar of smoke means that she is absolutely in the spirit and stable, flexible, and strong in the unshakable power of the Spirit—Rev. 3:12.
2. She is fully open to be perfumed, permeated with the sweet death and fragrant resurrection of Christ (myrrh and frankincense), and she pays the price to gain all the fragrant riches of Christ as a merchant—S. S. 3:6; Rev. 3:18.
F. “There is Solomon’s bed; / Sixty mighty men surround it, / Of the mighty men of Israel”—S. S. 3:7:
1. In her union with Christ, the lover of Christ is likened to a bed for rest in the night during wartime.
2. The bed is for rest and victory in the night, signifying the church age, during the time of spiritual warfare, signified by the sixty mighty men who surround the bed.
G. “King Solomon made himself a palanquin / Of the wood of Lebanon. / Its posts he made of silver, / Its bottom, of gold; / Its seat, of purple; / Its midst was inlaid with love / From the daughters of Jerusalem”—vv. 9-10:
1. By the Spirit’s transforming work in us, we become the moving vessel of Christ, the carriage of Christ, the “car” of Christ, for the move of Christ in and for the Body of Christ—2 Cor. 2:12-17.
2. We are rebuilt with the Divine Trinity so that our external structure is the resurrected and ascended humanity of Jesus and our interior decoration is our love for the Lord—S. S. 3:9-10.
3. Through our loving the Lord in a personal, affectionate, private, and spiritual way, our natural being is torn down, and we are remodeled with Christ’s redeeming death (posts made of silver), God’s divine nature (base), and Christ’s kingship as the life-giving Spirit ruling within us (seat of purple)—v. 10; cf. Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Cor. 4:16-18.
H. “Go forth… And look at King Solomon with the crown …On the day of his espousals”, if we love the Lord, we will become the crown of Solomon; that is the crown for Christ’s espousal with us; He is the Bridegroom, and we are the bride; eventually, the bride becomes the crown to the Groom—S. S. 3:11.
V. In the book of Ezekiel reveals a Christian’s spiritual life story—the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. The spiritual history of every normal Christian should be a continual cycle involving the experience of God as the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum—Ezek. 1:4:
A. Whenever God visits us and revives us, His Spirit blows on us like a mighty wind to bring a spiritual storm into our life, into our work, and into our church, causing us to be dissatisfied and concerned about our spiritual condition and to have a turn in our spiritual life—v. 4.
B. The cloud is a figure of God as the Spirit abiding with His people and covering them in order to care for them and show favor to them—v. 4; Exo. 13:21; 40:34-35.
C. The fire signifies God’s burning and sanctifying power; the more the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in us, the more we are purified and enlightened—Ezek. 1:4; Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29.
D. The electrum, composed of the elements of gold and silver, signifies the Lamb-God, the redeeming God—Ezek. 1:4; Rev. 22:1.
E. The issue of the blowing wind, the covering cloud, and the purifying fire is the glowing electrum—the radiant expression of the redeeming God—Ezek. 1:4.
F. In our whole Christian’s life, our spiritual history should be a continual cycle involving the experience of God as the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum; the more we experience the wind, the cloud, and the fire, the more the electrum is constituted into our being, making us a people who are filled with the Triune God and who manifest His glory—Ezek. 1:4.
VI. The stages of experience of life revealed in the deep thought of the Gospel of John—1:14, 29; 3:14; 6:35; 8:12; 9:5; 17:22-24:
A. The deep thought of the Gospel of John is that Christ, the incarnate God, came as the embodiment of God, as illustrated by the tabernacle (v. 14) and the temple (2:21), so that man could contact Him and enter into Him to enjoy the riches contained in God:
1. Both the tabernacle and the temple had an outer court, a Holy Place, and a Holy of Holies; Christ was the Lamb (who took away sin—v. 29) offered on the altar, which signifies the cross, in the outer court of the tabernacle, and then that He was like the bronze serpent (which caused man to have life) lifted up on the pole (3:14), which signifies the cross.
2. This shows how Christ in His redemption was received by His believers that they might be delivered from sin and obtain life and might enter into Him as the embodiment of God, typified by the tabernacle, to enjoy all the riches that are in God.
B. The foot-washing in chapter 13 may be considered the washing in the laver in the outer court of the tabernacle, which washed away the earthly defilement of those who drew near to God, so that their fellowship with God and with one another could be maintained.
C. In chapter 14 those who receive Christ are brought by Him into the Holy Place to experience Him as the bread of life (6:35), signified by the showbread, and as the light of life (8:12; 9:5), signified by the lampstand.
D. Eventually, in chapter 17, through the highest and most mysterious prayer, which is typified by the burning incense on the golden incense altar, those who enjoy Christ as life and as light are brought by Him into the Holy of Holies to enter with Him into the deepest enjoyment of God and to enjoy the glory that God has given Him (17:22-24).
VII. The eight stages of the Christian life in Romans; it is this book that gives us a clear picture of the Christian life from its beginning to its maturity—3:9, 20, 24; 5:11-12, 19; 6:3-6; 7:18; 8:2, 4-6, 28-29; 12:2-5:
A. The first stage—sinful and under God’s condemnation (1:1-3:20); this is the stage into which we were all born; before we became Christians, we were sinful persons; as such, we were condemned to death by the righteous God.
B. The second stage—being justified and regenerated (3:21—5:11); in the second stage we see a man who has been justified through the redemption of Christ, has been accepted by God, and is now boasting because of the hope of the glory of God.
C. The third stage—realizing that in Adam we have sin and death (5:12-21); after we have been born again, we may, perhaps very quickly, come to the point where we realize that because we were born in Adam, we are sinners and are destined to die.
D. The fourth stage—realizing that we have been baptized into Christ (6:1-23); on the day that we received the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior and were baptized, we were put into Christ; in Christ we have righteousness and life (Rom. 5:17-18).
E. The fifth stage—trying to do good in the flesh (7:18-19, 21-22); in this fifth stage we see a man who strives and struggles to do good, to keep the law of God, and to please God by himself; it is absolutely right to be in Christ, but to do good by oneself is one hundred percent wrong.
F. The sixth stage—walking according to the Spirit (8:1-17); here we see a person who does not know good or evil and who has been released from doing good and evil; he simply knows to follow the Holy Spirit, Who indwells his human spirit (v. 4; 1 Cor. 6:17).
G. The seventh stage—all things working together for our conformation (Rom 8:28-29); the Lord arranges all things to work together for our good which is our conformation to the image of the firstborn Son of God; in those who are in this stage, we will be able to recognize the image, glory, expression, and manifestation of Christ.
H. The eighth stage—living in the body of Christ; we are the members of the Body of Christ (12:4-5); as such a member he will never be independent or individualistic but will rather live, walk, act, and work as a member in the Body of Christ.
Ministry Excerpts:
THE STAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
From the experiences of the saints throughout the ages, and in the light that we have seen in these recent years before the Lord, we may say that the experience of life can be divided into four stages with a total of nineteen points.
According to our experience, the first four stages may be designated as follows: the first stage may be called the salvation stage; the second, the revival stage; the third, the stage of the cross; and the fourth, the stage of spiritual warfare. But according to our relationship with Christ, these four stages should be designated in this way: the first stage; in Christ; the second, abiding in Christ; the third, Christ abiding in us; and the fourth, Christ fully grown in us. The experiences of these four stages are based on our relationship with Christ. (The Experience of Life, Introduction)
THE FOUR STAGES OF SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE IN SONG OF SONGS
The First Stage—Attracted by Christ and Drawn by Him to Pursue
after Him for Full Satisfaction
In the first stage we are attracted by Christ and drawn by Him to pursue after Him for full satisfaction (1:2—2:7). This stage includes many things: yearning to be kissed by Christ; the fellowship in the inner chamber; entering into the church life by following the footsteps of the flock; being transformed by the remaking of the Spirit; and participating in Christ’s rest and satisfaction.
In this stage a sinner saved by grace is stirred up, attracted by Christ’s love, and charmed by what He is. Song of Songs 1:2 says of Christ, “Your love is better than wine.” Nothing in the whole universe can compare with Him. Verse 3 goes on to speak of Christ’s “anointing oils” and says that His “name is like ointment poured forth.” This ointment, which is actually Christ Himself as the Spirit, is a compound of divinity, humanity, Christ’s death and resurrection, the effectiveness of His death, and the power of His resurrection. The name here signifies Christ’s person, His being, and Christ is this compound Spirit. “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45b). This indicates that Christ’s name as His person is the compound ointment.
The Second Stage—Called to Be Delivered
From the Self through the Oneness with the Cross
The second stage is the call to be delivered from the self through the oneness with the cross (S.S. 2:8—3:5). In brief, the second stage is the stage of the experience of the cross. In considering this stage, it is sufficient that we remember just one word—cross. Song of Songs 2:14 says, “My dove, in the clefts of the rock,/In the covert of the precipice,/Let me see your countenance,/Let me hear your voice;/For your voice is sweet,/And your countenance is lovely.” Here “the clefts of the rock” and “the covert of the precipice” are figures of the cross. Christ wants to see His lover’s lovely countenance and hear her sweet voice in her oneness, union, with the cross. The cross is the central stress in this section on deliverance from the self.
When we pursue after Christ and become satisfied with the rest and enjoyment in Christ, we may become very occupied with and concerned about the self and thereby fall into introspection. Thus, we need to experience the denying of the self and the breaking of the self by being one with the cross. We need to stay in the clefts of the rock and remain hidden in the covert of the precipice. This means that we should daily stay at the cross. We should be able to say with Paul, “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). We—”I,” the self, the natural man, the old man—have been crucified, and now we should stay on the cross. This is to be in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the precipice. How can we reach the clefts and the covert, which are rugged places high up in the mountains? How can we remain there? We can go to the cross and remain there only by the power of Christ’s resurrection (Phil. 3:10).
The Third Stage—Called by Christ
to Live in Ascension as the New Creation of God in the Resurrection of Christ
The third stage is to be called by Christ to live in ascension as the new creation of God in the resurrection of Christ (3:6—5:1). Christ’s death is followed by Christ’s resurrection, and in His resurrection we are a new creation. The new creation is a product of Christ’s resurrection. Anyone who is in Christ and in His resurrection is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). The matters of resurrection and a new creation are closely related to Christ’s ascension. Actually, Christ’s resurrection and ascension are one. If we are in His resurrection, we are also in His ascension. When we live in resurrection, we are surely living in ascension.
Proof that the third stage of spiritual experience in Song of Songs is the call to live in ascension is found in 4:8: “Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;/With me from Lebanon come./Look from the top of Amana,/From the top of Senir and Hermon,/From the lions’ dens,/From the leopards’ mountains.” As we have pointed out, Amana means “truth,” Senir means “soft armor,” and Hermon means “destruction.” When we live in ascension, we have the truth (signified by Amana) and we have the victory (signified by Senir and Hermon) over the enemy. When we live in ascension, we realize that the war is over, that the victory has been gained, and that the enemy has been destroyed. The lions’ dens and the leopards’ mountains signify Satan and his evil forces. These evil powers are in the air, but when we live in ascension, we are in the heavens, far above them. Furthermore, when we live in ascension, spontaneously we are a new creation of God in the resurrection of Christ. How wonderful!
The Fourth Stage—Called by Christ More Strongly to Live
within the Veil through His Cross after the Experience of His Resurrection
We may think that the third stage is the highest stage, but according to Song of Songs there is yet another stage. The fourth stage is to be called by Christ more strongly to live within the veil through His cross after the experience of His resurrection (5:2—6:13). In ascension, in the heavens, there is the sanctuary of God, and a veil, which signifies the flesh (Heb. 10:20), divides this heavenly sanctuary into two sections. We should not think that once we have arrived at the heavenly sanctuary, we have already attained the highest point of spiritual experience. We may have come to the highest point, but we may not yet be in the inner chamber of the heavenly sanctuary. This inner chamber is the Holy of Holies—God Himself. The veil separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place was split in two at the time of Christ’s crucifixion (Matt. 27:51), but the veil has not been taken away. The veil is still there. After we reach ascension we eventually realize that with the sanctuary in the heavens there is an inner chamber and that we need to enter within the veil and live within the veil, that is, live in God Himself.
We have seen that the veil signifies the flesh, which is worse than the self. After the first stage, the object of our dealing is the self. Later, in the fourth stage, the object of our dealing is the flesh. This requires a further experience of the cross, for we need to enter within the veil through the cross. This means that even after we have experienced resurrection and ascension, we still need the cross in order to live in the Holy of Holies within the veil. We experience the cross in the second stage, but we need to have the deeper experience of the cross in the fourth stage.
Song of Songs 6:4 says, “You are as beautiful, my love, as Tirzah,/As lovely as Jerusalem.” Here the lover of Christ is likened to Tirzah and Jerusalem, indicating that she has become God’s dwelling place. When she was first drawn by the Lord, He likened her to a mare, a horse among Pharaoh’s chariots. Then she was likened to a rose in Sharon, a lily in the valleys and among thorns, a dove, a pillar of smoke, a bed, a palanquin, a garden, and a fountain with a spring. Now she is likened to the heavenly dwelling of God and the heavenly Jerusalem. The word Jerusalem in verse 4 is a sign of the New Jerusalem, indicating that all the lovers of Christ eventually will become the New Jerusalem—the ultimate consummation of the Bible. Here in God’s Holy of Holies we have the highest spiritual experience.
We have seen the four stages of spiritual experience in this book: the stage of pursuit, the stage of the cross, the stage of ascension, and the stage of living in the Holy of Holies. If we have a clear view of these four stages, we will have the proper understanding of Song of Songs. Such an understanding surely is priceless. (Life-study of Song of Songs, msg. 10)
EIGHT STAGES OF GROWTH IN LIFE
The Lord used at least eight figures to describe His seeking one. The Lord’s description of His seeker with different figures illustrated the state the seeker had attained at that time. Therefore, if we consider all eight figures together and compare them with one another, we will see their meaning. They indicate the growth in life and the transformation of life.
First of all, the Lord Jesus used the figure of a mare. Next He spoke of the doves’ eyes. She was not a dove yet, but she had the eyes of a dove. After the doves’ eyes there was the lily. The dove as a complete entity followed the lily. Following the dove were the pillars of smoke, the bed, and the palanquin. Finally, there was the crown. If we pray over these eight figures, I believe that the Holy Spirit will show us something so meaningful. My burden is not to expound the Song of Songs but that we all may know the way to take the Lord’s life. So many Christians talk about Christ as life, but very few know how to experience Him as life.
Natural, Worldly Strength
We need to look at all eight figures in more detail. A horse in the Bible always signifies strength and speed (Psa. 33:17; 147:10). This mare is used for the Egyptian king. “I compare you, my love, / To a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots” (S. S. 1:9). The mare signifies natural strength in a worldly way. The Lord’s seeker is using her strength to seek the Lord. In verse 7 she prayed, “Tell me, you whom my soul loves, Where do you pasture your flock? / Where do you make it lie down at noon?” She prayed for the Lord’s feeding and for the Lord’s rest. And the Lord answered her in verse 8: “If you yourself do not know, / You fairest among women, / Go forth on the footsteps of the flock, / And pasture your young goats / By the shepherds’ tents.” She followed in such a strong way that the Lord praised her, saying that she was like a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. This is good but good in a natural, worldly way. You are seeking the Lord, but you drag the world behind you. In your seeking of the Lord, others are impressed not with the Lord but with something of Pharaoh. You are not carrying Solomon but Pharaoh.
Spiritual Insight
The next figure used by the Lord to describe her is the doves’ eyes. “Oh, you are beautiful, my love! / Oh, you are beautiful! Your eyes are like doves” (v. 15). She was worldly and natural, but now she begins to have spiritual insight and spiritual concepts. The dove signifies the Spirit (Matt. 3:16). The doves’ eyes signify the insight, the understanding, and the realization of the Spirit.
The doves’ eyes are the spiritual insights that come from continually gazing on the Lord and putting our trust in Him. We no longer trust in our natural mare strength, but now we trust in Him. When the seeking one’s eyes have become the eyes of the dove, she has lost her confidence in her natural strength. She has turned away from her natural strength to the Lord and is continually looking unto Him. By her appreciation of Him, she receives the heavenly concept and spiritual insight. Now she has doves’ eyes to see things in a new way. She has not yet become a full dove, but she has the eyes of a dove. At least her concept, her insight, and her looking unto the Lord are like the eyes of the dove.
A Life of Faith
After having the eyes of the dove, she becomes a lily. “As a lily among thorns, / So is my love among the daughters” (2:2). In the Bible, a lily signifies a life lived wholly by faith. The Lord said in Matthew 6:28-30, “Consider well the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin thread. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. And if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is cast into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, you of little faith?” A lily is one of the Lord’s seeking ones who lives on this earth but not by this earth. She lives by trusting in God; she does not put her trust in this earth. By such a faith she becomes as pure as the white lilies. Such are the pure ones who live by faith in God. Not only does the Lord Himself consider the seeking one in Song of Songs as a lily, but even she herself recognizes that she is a lily. In 2:16 she says, “My beloved is mine, and I am his; / He pastures his flock among the lilies.” She is one of the lilies, and among these lilies the Lord is shepherding His flock.
A Complete Dove
The turn from the doves’ eyes to the lily indicates a further improvement. Now she not only looks unto the Lord but also has a practical faith in Him. She not only has lost her natural strength and confidence, but she also has real faith in God. She has put away her trust in her mare’s strength, and now she has a living trust in God. She not only has the eyes of a dove but also the pure faith of a lily. Hallelujah! What a picture! After becoming a lily, she becomes a complete dove. “My dove, in the clefts of the rock, / In the covert of the precipice, / Let me see your countenance, / Let me hear your voice; / For your voice is sweet, / And your countenance is lovely” (v. 14).
All the improvements and all the stages of the growth in life can only come as we are taking Christ as our person. We must love Him, appreciate Him, and learn more and more to live by Him. Then we will progress from the mare to the doves’ eyes, then to the lily, and eventually to the complete dove. In these stages the seeking one is continually dealing with the Lord. She is learning to take the Lord as her everything, and by this she is growing and improving. There is a continuous transformation from the mare stage to the dove stage.
Pillars Supporting God’s Interest
The seeking one has now become pillars of smoke standing on the earth supporting the expanse. The apostles Paul and John were such persons. They were, and still are today, the pillars of smoke in the whole universe supporting the skies. When we read their writings, we realize that they are real pillars to the skies. When we become such pillars, the Lord can commit His purpose to us and upon us. Then we are pillars that stand fast without shaking. This figure is taken from the ancient mode of construction in which they did not use walls to support the building, but they used pillars or columns. Everything rested upon these pillars. This is why Paul mentions Peter, James, and John as pillars of the church (Gal. 2:9). In 1 Timothy 3:15 the church of the living God is spoken of as the pillar and base of the truth. Now the seeking one has become such a pillar to uphold God’s interests on the earth.
The Rest of Christ
Who is this one? “There is Solomon’s bed; / Sixty mighty men surround it, / Of the mighty men of Israel” (S. S. 3:7). The answer came that she is now the bed of Solomon. The question was about her, but the answer is concerning Solomon. This is because she is now one with Solomon; she is one with Christ. Christ is the content, and she is the container. A bed is a kind of container to hold the content, not for moving but for resting in the night. The mighty men of war surround this bed. This surely means that she has now come into the stage of spiritual warfare. Only the mature ones can fight in the war, and here the war is waged even at night. Yet even during the war in the night, Christ can still have His rest in such a seeking one. Who is this? She is the rest of Christ. She is not only the pillar supporting God’s interests on the earth, but she is also the bed affording the rest to Christ, even during the war at night.
The Moving Vessel of Christ
She is not only the bed for Solomon to rest in at night; she is also the palanquin for him to move in by day. “King Solomon made himself a palanquin / Of the wood of Lebanon. / Its posts he made of silver, / Its bottom, of gold; / Its seat, of purple; / Its midst was inlaid with love / From the daughters of Jerusalem” (vv. 9-10). The seeking one is now a vessel to contain Christ, carrying Him about in His move. A palanquin is a stately, royal car. As a vessel, it contains the person it carries. She is now the moving vessel of Christ. Christ moves by being contained in her. While she is containing Him, He moves in her and with her. Hallelujah! This is the palanquin of Christ.
The palanquin is constructed of wood, silver, and gold. The wood is the cedar of Lebanon, signifying the Lord’s humanity. The posts are silver. Silver always signifies the redemption of Christ. The palanquin is supported by the redemption of Christ. The bottom, the base, is made of gold, which signifies the life and nature of God. God’s divine nature is the base.
The Wedding Crown
Eventually, such a person becomes the crown. “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, / And look at King Solomon with the crown / With which his mother crowned him / On the day of his espousals, / Yes, on the day of the gladness of his heart” (v. 11). There was the question, “Who is she?” First, the answer came that this was Solomon’s bed for resting and his palanquin for moving. Then the answer came that this was Solomon with his crown. She is now the crown of Solomon. If we love the Lord, we will become the crown of Solomon. This is not the crown for kingship; it is the crown at the wedding day. That is the crown for Christ’s espousal with us. He is the Bridegroom, and we are the bride. Eventually, the bride becomes the crown to the Groom. Hallelujah! (Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, msg. 5)
THE WIND, THE CLOUD, THE FIRE, AND THE ELECTRUM
BEING A CHRISTIAN’S SPIRITUAL LIFE STORY
My burden is to point out that the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum should be a Christian’s spiritual life story. Throughout our whole Christian life, our spiritual experiences should be a continual cycle involving these four matters.
Not a Theory but an Experience
of the Blowing Wind, the Covering Cloud,
the Consuming Fire, and the Glowing Electrum
What we spoke in the previous message regarding the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum is absolutely not a theory but something of spiritual experience. If a person has never experienced the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, that person surely is not a normal Christian. A certain person may have a little doctrinal knowledge of the truth concerning salvation and then be baptized in a formal way without having any experience of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. A genuinely saved person is one who has had spiritual transactions with God, one who has experienced the blowing of the wind and the covering of the cloud.
A spiritual wind not only blew upon us when we were saved but also blows every time we have a spiritual revival. A particular believer may be quite careless regarding his spiritual life and yet be quite content with his spiritual condition. If such a believer is in a good mood, he may read the Bible and pray, but if he is in a bad mood, he may neglect prayer and Bible reading. The situation is very different with a believer who experiences the blowing of a mighty spiritual wind. When the wind blows upon him, he cannot feel satisfied with his spiritual condition. On the contrary, he will become restless and quite concerned about his situation and begin to ask questions concerning the condition of his spiritual life. The principle with the church corporately is the same as it is with a believer personally. The blowing of the wind always makes us feel restless and concerned about our situation and condition. I deeply long that a rushing, mighty wind would blow upon all the saints in all the churches and make them restless and cause them to seek the Lord about their spiritual condition.
The blowing wind brings the covering cloud. We have learned from our spiritual experience that when the Holy Spirit blows upon us and touches us, we sense that God is overshadowing us and exercising His care for us. His presence is like a cloud covering us and surrounding us, and we can sense both His presence and His care. Following this we experience the burning of the consuming fire. This burning makes us realize that we are wrong in many ways and with many persons. Such a burning exposes our condition and causes us to confess our transgressions and deal with ourselves before God. The more the fire burns, the more we confess and the more we are sanctified and purified.
The Radiant Expression of the Redeeming God
We thank the Lord that in the fire there is the glowing electrum. I would remind you that the electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, signifies the redeeming God. After we have been burned by God as the consuming fire, we sense that we are filled with God’s nature and glory. This means that once we have experienced the wind, the cloud, and the fire, the only thing that remains is the glowing electrum, the redeeming God. The wind and the cloud bring forth the fire, and the fire manifests the shining electrum. The issue of the spiritual transactions involving the blowing wind, the covering cloud, and the purifying fire is always the radiant expression of the redeeming God.
The Spiritual History of Every Christian
The spiritual history of every Christian should involve the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. When we were saved, we experienced the Lord in these four ways, and we should continue to experience Him in this way. In fact, every time we are graced by the Lord, we have spiritual transactions with Him involving the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. When you wake up in the morning, you may sense that the wind of the Spirit is blowing upon you and that a cloud is overshadowing you. Then as you spend some time to pray, you may sense that a fire is burning within you to consume your corruption, worldliness, and many other negative things. Eventually, you may sense that within you there is something bright, beautiful, and dignified—the glowing electrum. As a result of this experience, you may live the whole day in the enjoyment of the glowing electrum. However, as you live and walk in this corrupted world, you cannot avoid being defiled and contaminated, so at the end of the day or the next morning you may have a further experience of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. Once again the wind blows, the cloud broods, and the fire burns. You confess your sins and deal with your filthiness, and following this you once again enjoy the shining of the electrum within you.
This kind of experience is inexhaustible and unending. Day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, we need to experience the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. Every time the wind blows, the cloud covers, and the fire burns, we will be enlightened to see that we need to deal with matters about which we had no awareness before. As these negative things are burned away, we experience a further purification and have a deeper enjoyment of the glowing. (Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 10)
THE EIGHT STAGES
OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN ROMANS
Readers of the book of Romans know quite well that this book reveals the stages of the Christian life. Among the sixty-six books of the Bible, it is this book that gives us a clear picture of the Christian life from its beginning to its maturity. If we are going to be normal and sound Christians, we have to know clearly the eight stages of the Christian life that are revealed to us in this book.
The First Stage—
Sinful and under God’s Condemnation
The first stage of the Christian life in the book of Romans is that of a man who is sinful and is condemned to death under the righteous judgment of God (1:1—3:20). This is the stage into which we were all born. Before we became Christians, we were sinful persons. As such, we were condemned to death by the righteous God. It was while we were in this stage that we became Christians.
The Second Stage—
Being Justified and Regenerated
In the second stage we see a man who has been justified through the redemption of Christ, has been accepted by God, and is now boasting because of the hope of the glory of God (3:21—5:11). Originally, this man was under the condemnation of God. Now, however, there is no more condemnation, because he has been justified through Christ’s redemption (3:24; cf. 5:16). As a result, this man has become a person who is full of joy and boasts because of the hope of the glory of God (v. 2). In this stage, we who were once under God’s condemnation are saved, justified, and regenerated.
The Third Stage—
Realizing That in Adam We Have Sin and Death
In the third stage of the Christian life as seen in Romans, we see a saved and regenerated person who realizes that he was originally born in Adam and has thus inherited sin and death (5:12-21). After we have been born again, we may, perhaps very quickly, come to the point where we realize that because we were born in Adam, we are sinners and are destined to die. Coming to this realization is the third stage of the Christian life.
The Fourth Stage—
Realizing That We Have Been Baptized into Christ
The sixth chapter of Romans presents to us the fourth stage of the Christian life. When we realize that we are in Adam and therefore have sin and death, we also realize that we have been baptized into Christ. Originally we were in Adam; now we are in Christ. We were born in Adam (cf. 5:17; 1 Cor. 15:22), but we have been baptized into Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). On the day that we received the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior and were baptized, we were put into Christ. Whereas in Adam we received sin and death, in Christ we have righteousness and life (Rom. 5:17-18). Righteousness is versus sin, and life is versus death.
The Fifth Stage—
Trying to Do Good in the Flesh
Although the fourth stage of the Christian life, seen in Romans 6, is a glorious one, the fifth stage, seen in chapter 7, is sorrowful. In chapter 6 we declare, “Hallelujah!” but in chapter 7 we must cry out, “Wretched man that I am!” (v. 24). In this fifth stage we see a man who strives and struggles to do good, to keep the law of God, and to please God by himself (vv. 18-19, 21-22). He does this because he now knows that he is in Christ. In a sense, he says to himself, “I am in Christ; therefore, I have to do good. Since I am now in Christ, I must keep the law. Because I am in Christ, I have to please God.” Although it is true that he is in Christ, his thought that he must now do good is false. It is absolutely right to be in Christ, but to do good by oneself is one hundred percent wrong.
The Sixth Stage—
Walking According to the Spirit
If we address the enemy in this way and reject trying to do good in the flesh, we will be persons who live and walk according to the Holy Spirit in our spirit. This is the stage that we see in Romans 8:1-17. Here we see a person who does not know good or evil and who has been released from doing good and evil; he simply knows to follow the Holy Spirit, who indwells his human spirit (v. 4; 1 Cor. 6:17).
A Christian is not someone who tries to do something; a Christian is a person who always enjoys and experiences Christ. We are not called by the Lord to do things to please Him. We are called to enjoy, experience, and participate in Christ. Never try to do good by yourself. Just remember that you are in Christ and that the Spirit of Christ is in you. If you need electricity, there is no need for you to do anything but turn on the switch. Saying Hallelujah is the way to switch on to enjoy and experience Christ. If you try to be good by yourself, the switch will be turned off. Always remember to praise the Lord, for this is the way to switch on. This is the way to be a victorious person who is in Christ and walks according to the Spirit. We are set free from sin, death, and bondage simply by saying Hallelujah and walking according to the Spirit.
The Seventh Stage—
All Things Working Together for Our Conformation
The seventh stage of the Christian life as shown to us in Romans is the Lord arranging all things to work together for our good. This good can be considered as our profit, which is our conformation to the image of the firstborn Son of God. Romans 8:28-29 says, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.” By using all things—which include all environments, circumstances, and persons—as instruments, the Lord brings us into a situation of suffering, in which we can be conformed to His image.
The Eighth Stage—
Living in the Body of Christ
The last picture of the Christian life in the book of Romans is contained in chapter 12. This picture shows us one who is saved, walks according to the Spirit, is being conformed to the image of Christ, and is a member of the Body of Christ living in the Body of Christ and practicing the Body life. Such a one realizes that he is not an individual person but a member of the Body.
In this stage we can see the daily Christian living, which is a living that is in the Body of Christ. Whatever we as Christians do, we must do as members of the Body of Christ. In this stage we realize that we are no more independent and individual persons; we are but members of the Body of Christ. From the time we have this realization onward, we can never be independent or individualistic, because we are members of the Body. It is impossible for a member of my physical body to be independent. If a member of my physical body is independent, it is separate from the body and dies. Not only so, it becomes something that is dreadful and awful. The human hand is wonderful. Suppose, however, that my hand was separated from my body and put on a table. Surely this would be an awful situation. Today many believers are like separated members of a human body—they are not only dead; they are dreadful. This is because they are separated from the Body of Christ. The more we live as members in the Body of Christ, the more dear and beloved we are to the other members. Hence, in the last stage of the Christian life as seen in the book of Romans, we see the Body of Christ composed of all the saved ones who live in the Body mutually as members. This is the maturity of the Christian life. (The Practical Way to Live in the Mingling of God with Man, ch. 1)