LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;each one of the gates was a single pearl.And the street of the city was pure gold,like transparent glass.” (Rev 21:21)
BEING STRAIGHT IN OUR COORDINATION
If we are under a clear and expanding heaven,we can have the proper and adequate coordination,the coordination that is altogether straight.In the first chapter of Ezekiel,the word straight is used several times.
In verse 7 it is used for the calves’ hooves.In verse 23,it is used for the eagles’ wings:“under the firmament their wings were straight (or stretched out),one toward another.”This indicates that in our coordination we must be straight.
At times,the coordination in the local churches is not straight,but somewhat crooked.For example,Brother A forces a fellowship about a matter upon Brother B and then asks him not to tell Brother C about it.But Brother B goes to Brother C and passes the information to him,and then asks him not to say anything about it to Brother D.This kind of coordination is political.
We should never practice politics in the church life.If we say something to one brother,we should be able to say it to the others as well.This means that our wings must be straight.Our coordination must be frank,sincere,zealous,and straight.
A VOICE COMING FROM THE WINGS OF THE LIVING CREATURES
Verse 24a says,“And when they went,I heard the sound of their wings,like the sound of many waters,like the voice of the Almighty,a sound of tumult like the sound of an army.”
Here we are told that when the living creatures moved,Ezekiel heard the voice of their wings.This means that while they were moving in a straight coordination,a voice came out.This voice was their testimony.
From this we see that the voice of the testimony of any local church must come out of proper coordination.It should not be the voice of an individual believer;it must be the voice of the coordination.The voice comes out of the wings that have been joined to one another.
Consider the situation with Peter in the New Testament.Before the day of Pentecost,Peter often expressed something by himself,and what he spoke was usually rejected by the Lord Jesus.
This was because he expressed himself by himself (Matt 16:22-23;17:4-5,24-27).But after the Lord’s ascension,on the day of Pentecost,Peter stood up with the eleven (Acts 2:14).I believe that when the twelve were there,they were like the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1.The voice that came out on the day of Pentecost was not the voice of an individual,Peter,but the voice of a corporate person.
THE LIVING CREATURES USE TWO WINGS TO COVER THEMSELVES
On the one hand,the four living creatures stretch out two of their wings for coordination,for moving,and for sounding forth their voice.On the other hand,they use the other two wings to cover themselves.
This indicates that in the church life,in coordination,we all need to learn to hide ourselves under the Lord’s grace.Not to display ourselves,but instead to hide ourselves.To hide under the eagles’ wings.
There should never be any manifestation of the self or of any individual.No matter how great our portion may be,we need to hide ourselves under the Lord’s grace.We should never boast in ourselves,but always boast in Him.If our heaven is clear,if we have a straight coordination,and if we hide ourselves in the Lord and in His grace,there will be a beautiful situation among us in the church life.
LIKE THE SOUND OF MANY WATERS
If the situation of a local church is like that of the four living creatures described above,the church will be qualified and proper to sound forth the voice and give a strong testimony.The voice will not be that of an individual person,but will be like the sound of many waters.
A particular believer may be spiritual and love the Lord very much,but if he is not coordinated with others,the voice of his testimony will be weak;it will not be like the voice of many waters.
We need to seek the Lord that the testimony of all the local churches would be like many waters.An individual brother should not always say something to the local church,but a coordinated Body should sound forth the voice and give the testimony.Others will be surprised at this kind of voice,and they will say that the voice of that local church is like the sound of many waters.
LIKE THE VOICE OF THE ALMIGHTY
Verse 24 also says that this voice is the voice of the Almighty.It becomes the very voice of God.It is the voice of a corporate person,but eventually this voice becomes the voice of God.How wonderful!The testimony of a local church should be like this.The voice in your local church should be not the voice of any individual,but the voice of the Almighty.
LIKE THE VOICE OF AN ARMY
Finally,as verse 24 says,the voice is the voice of an army fighting.Often the situation in the local churches is not like this,because the church does not have a clear,expanding,and stable heaven.
If the brothers and sisters do not have proper fellowship and coordination,they may try to justify themselves and claim to have something.But if they truly had something real,they would not need to claim anything.
If they claim to be rich,this indicates that actually they are poor.A millionaire does not need to claim that he is rich.If our church is like the four living creatures,there is no need to claim anything concerning it.
Consider again the wonderful situation in Ezekiel 1.Look at the expanse,the moving,the coordination,and the fellowship.Here is the voice of many waters,the voice of the Almighty,and the voice of an army.This cannot be accomplished in us overnight.We must begin with the storm wind out of the north,and then pass through all the subsequent experiences in order to have a crystal-clear heaven.
All the local churches need to arrive at this point,following one another until we get there.In the New Jerusalem there is only one street (Rev 21:21b;22:1),indicating that there should be only one street in the church life today and that we all must walk on it.
We need to follow one another on this one street until we arrive at the point described in Ezekiel 1:22-25.This means that we need to have a clear heaven with a vast expanse that is impressive and dreadful in the eyes of others.When we reach this stage,we will have a proper testimony.We will have a voice like the sound of many waters and like the voice of the Almighty God and of an army fighting for God’s economy.
THEY LOWER THEIR WINGS TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE
There is another matter we must consider,and this is mentioned in verse 24b:“When they stood still,they let down their wings.”Here we see that the living creatures do not move all the time.Sometimes they stop and stand still.When they are standing still,they let down their wings.When they hear a voice not from their wings but from the bright firmament above their heads,they stop and let down their wings.
This indicates that they know how to listen to God’s voice.They know not only how to speak and sound forth their voice,but also how to listen to God’s voice.Whenever they hear God’s voice,they stop moving,stand still,and let down their wings.
If we have a crystal-clear,expanding,and stable heaven,there will be a twofold result.On the one hand,having a clear heaven enables us to speak;on the other,it enables us to listen.We speak to others,and we listen to God.
This means that we should be Christians who speak for God and who also listen to His speaking.If our condition is like that of the living creatures in Ezekiel 1,our heaven will become clear,and then we will be able to speak for God and also to listen to His speaking.The ability to speak and to listen depends on having a clear heaven.
A clear heaven,speaking for the Lord,and listening to the Lord are all matters of fellowship.Genuine fellowship is related to genuine coordination.When we have fellowship with God and with one another,there will be genuine coordination among us.Then as we go on,we can speak for God,and when God comes to speak to us,we can listen silently to His speaking.
This should be the situation in all the local churches.A proper local church knows both how to move and how to stop,how to sound forth its voice and how to listen to God’s voice.Is your local church like this?I am concerned that your church may not know when to stop,lower its wings,and listen to the voice from heaven.
I am also concerned that in your local church there may not be proper coordination.Instead,there may be a one-man show,with one person doing everything and insisting that everything and everyone be under his control.
Any local church that is like this will be poor and weak.No matter what that church claims to have,there is no voice coming from the wings.The coordination of the four living creatures,on the contrary,is not a one-man show.One person does not decide everything.Their coordination is the coordination of all the living creatures.
Ezekiel 1 presents the clearest picture in the Bible concerning the proper church life,and we all need to see the church life as portrayed in this chapter.The coordination shown here is wonderful.All the experiences in a marvelous sequence bring the living creatures to a point where they are under a crystal-clear,expanding,and stable heaven.
Thus,the living creatures have a proper move on the earth and sound forth a proper voice and bear testimony to the whole universe.Here they learn to stop and listen to God’s voice.They know how to sound forth the voice in moving and know how to listen to God’s voice in stopping.
All of us,especially the leading ones in the local churches,need to see this picture and experience what is revealed in it.May the Lord have mercy on us and cause all the local churches to be brought into the experiences described in this chapter.
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: “Principle of incarnation”
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