The Experience and Enjoyment of Christ in the Local Churches

Experiencing Christ in the Local Church

Psalm 84 and Psalm 133 present a delightful picture of our enjoyment of Christ's accomplishments in the local church. Based on these, not only does God dwell in the local church, but as Witness Lee points out, we little ones also find our home here.

12. Experiencing the Crucified and Resurrected Christ at the Two Altars

Psalm 84 is a beautiful depiction of our experience at the offering altar typifying Christ’s crucifixion and at the incense altar typifying His resurrection in the house of God. In relation to these two altars and their significance in our experience in the church today, Witness Lee remarks:

Now let us consider the various aspects of the Psalmist’s experience concerning the house. The first aspect of His enjoyment, poetically speaking, is the two altars. “Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God!” (v. 3) Undoubtedly we are the sparrows, we are the swallows, we are the little creatures, so small and so frail. Yet we may find a house. We have already mentioned that in the Psalms, whenever the house of God is mentioned, it is presented not only as a place in which God may dwell, but as the place where we also may find our home. This is the sweet feeling of the Psalmist concerning the house of God. It is a place for the little sparrows to abide. It is a place for the swallow to build a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. We find a home in the house of God, and this home is at the two altars.

In ancient times, both in the tabernacle and in the temple, there were two altars: one was in the outer court, and the other was in the holy place; one was without, and the other was within. The altar in the outer court was the place for the offerings, which dealt with all negative things, which cleansed, redeemed, and delivered from all problems. The altar in the holy place was the altar of incense, which signifies the resurrected Christ as our acceptance to God. Hence, these two altars signify the crucifixion of Christ and Christ in resurrection. Together, they embody in type all that Christ is with all that He has accomplished and attained. It is here that we find our home; it is here that we find our rest in the house of God. All the little ones in the local churches must realize and apprehend the significance of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, with all that He has accomplished and attained for us. I say again, the Psalms are poetry, and we must understand them in a poetic way.

We need to care for the little ones in the local churches by helping them realize the value and meaning of the first altar, and the significance and worth of the second altar. We must cause them to apprehend how Christ is the crucified One at the offering altar and the resurrected One at the incense altar that they may enjoy all the goodness of the crucified Christ and the resurrected Christ. It is here at the altars that we have a real resting place, a true nest for the little ones. This is the first item of all the enjoyment in the local churches.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 148-149)

13. Experiencing Christ as the Descending Grace

Concerning our experience of Christ descending as grace on the local churches, Witness Lee observes:

Mount Hermon signifies the heavens. According to Psalm 133, the dew comes down from Mount Hermon and descends upon the mountains of Zion. This signifies that the grace comes down from the heavens and descends upon all the local churches.

(Witness Lee, Visions of Ezekiel, 236)

The believers' sweet and restful experience in the local churches as portrayed in these two psalms is clearly presented here by Witness Lee. In the local church we begin to know the crucified and resurrected Christ signified by the two altars, and we enjoy the Lord's descending heavenly grace.

Main

Described in OT

Revealed in OT

Revealed in NT

Portrayed in NT

Bibliography

Links