Shulammite is the feminine form of Solomon, indicating that now the overcomers have become the same as Christ. All the overcomers must be one with God and must be Christ. The Shulammite was a country girl. Now, as a counterpart of Solomon, she has become the same as Solomon in life, in nature, in expression, and in function for the carrying out of God’s economy. In these four things—life, nature, expression, and function—we become the same as God and Christ, but not in Their Godhead. To say that we are the same as God in His Godhead is a great blasphemy, but if we say that we cannot be the same as God in life, nature, expression, and function, this is unbelief. The Bible tells us again and again that God wants to be one with us and to make us one with Him. This is God’s intention.
The phrases “in Christ” and “in the Lord” are used repeatedly in the New Testament. Paul told us to rejoice always in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). In ourselves we cannot rejoice. We can only sigh all the time. But in the Lord we are able to do all things (Phil. 4:13). Surely our God is more qualified than Solomon. He is able to make us the same as He is in His life, in His nature, in His expression, and in His function to carry out His economy. This signifies that the overcomers were sinners. Now, in the maturity of Christ’s life, they have become the same as Christ in life, in nature, in expression, and in function for the accomplishment of God’s eternal economy.
In the last two chapters of the Bible, a city is presented to us. This city is the consummation of the entire Bible. In this city we can find all the types, figures, and prophecies in the Old Testament and all the realities in the New Testament. This city is the aggregate of all the visions and revelations in God’s Word. Throughout the centuries we have not seen the adequate interpretation of the record of this city. Gradually, the Lord has shown it to us. The primary thing is that the almighty King, the almighty “Solomon,” wants to be one with His people, signified by a country girl. He does this not by coercing but by the personal and affectionate way of courting. Who could imagine that God wanted to contact His chosen people just like a man courting a lovely lady? This is how the Bible ends, with a couple in a marriage life—the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21). Hallelujah, we all are involved in this divine romance! We all are participating in this wonderful conclusion of the entire holy Scriptures.
We need to remember that the romance in Song of Songs is in four stages. The first is the attracting and pursuing stage. The second is the stage of experiencing the cross, dealing with our “I,” with our self. The third stage is to live in the heavenlies to be God’s new creation in resurrection. The last stage is to live in the sanctuary with the veil dealt with all the time that we may be one with the Triune God, who is our sanctuary, to have the top enjoyment in the Divine Trinity.
If we consider the progress of the seeker in Song of Songs, we might become discouraged, thinking that the final stages are too high for us to attain. We may think that the first stage is attainable. We can be attracted by Christ and pursue Him for satisfaction. But to experience the cross dealing with our self, the “I,” for the purpose of living a life with Christ and to live in the ascension to be God’s new creation in resurrection are experiences which may seem new to us. Even the terms are new. Eventually, we have to live in the sanctuary, which is God Himself. We need to live in the Triune God with the veil dealt with all the time that we may have the top enjoyment of the very Triune God in whom we live as the hidden manna, the budding rod, and the tablets of the law.
In one session of fellowship which we had with Brother Watchman Nee before 1935 he told us that in all the stages of the spiritual life the principles are the same. At that time I was wondering what these principles were. For years I was following Brother Nee to find out the principles which govern all the stages of our spiritual life. Eventually, I discovered them. These governing principles are Christ’s death, Christ’s resurrection, Christ’s ascension, and our being heavenly, being divine (spiritual), and being a new creation.
Even at our regeneration, the first experience of the spiritual life, we can see all these principles. Regeneration is by the death of Christ to enter into His resurrection and ascension. This new birth makes us heavenly and divine to be God’s new creation. This is the initial stage. The highest stage is to live in God as the sanctuary with the veil dealt with all the time. In this highest stage, we can see the death of Christ applied to the veil of the flesh, to crucify the flesh. With the death of Christ there is also His resurrection and ascension. In this consummate stage we also see the heavenlies, God’s divinity, and the new creation. The same principles which were in the initial stage of our spiritual life are also in the highest stage. Since the day we were regenerated, we had the things of the highest stage to live in God. When we were regenerated, Christ began to live in us and we lived in Christ, in God. That living must be through the cross in resurrection and in ascension and is heavenly and divine for us to be a new creation.
It will help us to see this. Then we will never be disappointed. We can attain and obtain all the highest stages because all these stages, in principle, are ours already. In regeneration we are living in the Triune God, enjoying Him as our highest enjoyment. Right after regeneration quite often we feel that we have to receive Christ’s cross to cross our self out. Upon being regenerated there is a call within us to be crossed out, telling us that we should no longer live in our old life. Instead, we should live in the heavens and in the Triune God as our dwelling place to enjoy Him.
We should not think that we are far away from attaining and obtaining the highest stages of the spiritual life. All these stages are attainable and obtainable. We can reach them and obtain them because actually in principle they are ours already. Whether I have reached the last stage or not, I am not too sure. But I am sure of one thing—I am in it and it is mine in principle.
Hallelujah for regeneration! Regeneration brings the gene of God into us (see 1 John 3:9). The gene includes everything of our entire life. All the experiences of our whole Christian life are in this gene. The gene will grow out all these things. Our eyes, nose, ears, and all the organs of our physical body were in a gene, even before we were born of our mother. After our birth all of these organs grow. It is the same with our spiritual life. In principle all the spiritual high points are ours already because they are in the gene of God which has been dispensed into us.