E
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:
１
Whenever we listen to the speaking of the seven Spirits of God to the churches, we are immediately under a precious, sweet, and dear transfusing, an infusing that changes us, transforms us, makes us the proper material, and builds us into God's building.
２
Whatever must go to the lake of fire is burned away by the seven lamps (Rev. 4:5), and now we are under the seven eyes (5:6), being infused with all that Christ is in order that we may become a part of the New Jerusalem.
F
Even though the believers in the churches are in a position to hear the Spirit's speaking and thus can easily have ears to hear, not all of them will closely follow His speaking; hence, there is the call for the overcomers.
G
Those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches should hear, and those who hear will be overcomers:
１
The Lord always wants to open our ears to hear His voice so that we may see things according to His economy—Job 33:14-16; Isa. 50:4-5; Exo. 21:6.
２
The heavy ears need to be circumcised—Jer. 6:10; Acts 7:51.
３
The sinners' ears need to be cleansed with the redeeming blood and anointed with the Spirit—Lev. 14:14, 17, 28.
４
To serve the Lord as priests, we must have our ears cleansed with the redeeming blood—Exo. 29:20; Lev. 8:23-24.
５
As the Spirit is speaking to the churches, we all need an opened, circumcised, cleansed, and anointed ear to hear the Spirit's speaking.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 1:10 I was in spirit on the Lord’s DAY and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.
The speaking of the Spirit always turns us to the infusing of Christ…If we listen to His speaking, we will immediately be under Christ’s transfusing and infusing, and we will be immersed into Christ. Today the seven Spirits are speaking to the churches, and anyone who has an ear and listens to this speaking will be turned to Christ’s infusing. Whenever we listen to the speaking of the seven Spirits of God to the churches, we are immediately under a precious, sweet, and dear transfusing, an infusing that changes us, transforms us, makes us the proper material, and builds us into God’s building. Whatever must go to the lake of fire is burned away by the seven lamps, and now we are under the seven eyes, being infused with all that Christ is in order that we may become part of the New Jerusalem. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 4222)
Today’s Reading
Because the Spirit today is speaking to the churches, we need to be in the churches in order to be rightly positioned to hear the Spirit’s speaking…Even though the believers in the churches are in a position to hear the Spirit’s speaking and thus can easily have ears to hear, not all of them will closely follow His speaking. Hence, there is the call for the overcomers…Overcomers are produced by having an ear that can hear, and the ear to hear is produced through the Spirit’s speaking to the churches…Those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches should hear, and those who hear will be overcomers.Each epistle was written to a particular church in a certain locality, yet all the seven epistles conclude in the same way—with the Spirit speaking to all the churches. This means that each epistle was written to all the churches, and it indicates that all the churches should be the same…All the churches should listen to the word that the apostles have received of God, which is the teaching of the New Testament.
In Revelation 1 we see many titles for the wonderful One—Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth, the Redeemer, the One who made us a kingdom and priests to His God and Father, the One who comes, and the Son of Man appearing as the High Priest. Yet in chapter 2 we see Christ, the all-inclusive Head, and the speaking Spirit. This means that all that Christ is in chapter 1 has been condensed into the all-inclusive Christ and the speaking Spirit in chapter 2. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4222-4223)
In spiritual things, seeing depends on hearing. The writer of Revelation first heard the voice (1:10) and then saw the vision (v. 12). If our ears are dull and cannot hear, then we cannot see (Isa. 6:9-10). The Jews would not hear the word of the Lord, so they could not see what the Lord was doing according to the new testament (Matt. 13:15; Acts 28:27). The Lord always wants to open our ears to hear His voice (Job 33:14-16; Isa. 50:4-5; Exo. 21:6) that we may see things according to His economy. The dull ears need to be circumcised (Jer. 6:10; Acts 7:51). The sinners’ ears need to be cleansed with the redeeming blood and anointed with the Spirit (Lev. 14:14, 17, 28). To serve the Lord as priests, we must have our ears cleansed with the redeeming blood (Exo. 29:20; Lev. 8:23-24). According to Revelation, as the Spirit is speaking to the churches, we all need an opened, circumcised, cleansed, and anointed ear to hear the Spirit’s speaking.
We need to both see and hear. Among our physical senses, which is more important—seeing or hearing?…Hearing is deeper than seeing. Thus, we must tell the Lord, “Lord, I need to both see and hear. Have mercy on me, Lord, and grant me eyes to see and ears to hear.” We may have to struggle with the Lord, telling Him that we must be able to both see and hear. (Life- study of Revelation, pp. 116-117)
Further Reading: Life-study of Revelation, msg. 10