The first vision in the book of Revelation is of the seven golden lampstands, which are seven local churches (1:12, 20). Thus, the first vision is of the churches on earth, whereas the second vision is of what is taking place in the heavens. When considered together, these two visions indicate that what is happening in the churches on earth is related to the activity in the heavens. Just as an electric meter indicates that the transmission is still flowing from the power plant, so the Lord’s move in the churches corresponds to the action on the throne in heaven. This means that what takes place in the local churches should be under the direction of the throne of God in heaven. In order for the recovery to be the Lord’s recovery, it must be under His direction. As long as there is a transmission coming from the heavens, there will be the divine flow in the churches. Praise the Lord that according to the book of Revelation, the churches are going on under the direction of the heavenly administration!
The Lord Jesus, the One crowned with glory and honor, the One who is the Lord, the Christ, the Head, the Forerunner, the High Priest, and the heavenly Minister, is executing God’s operation in the heavens. He is the Lamb with seven eyes, with the seven Spirits of God, carrying out God’s administration through the local churches. Actually, the churches are God’s embassies. For this reason, the world situation is not under the control of any earthly head of state, but under the churches through which God is executing His administration. Just as the American embassy in a particular country is an extension of the United States, so the churches as God’s embassies are an extension of the heavens. Our headquarters, our administrative center, is in heaven. When I am asked about the headquarters of the Lord’s recovery, deep within I say, “The headquarters of the Lord’s recovery is in heaven.”
We should not be distracted, as the Colossians were, by Judaism or Greek philosophy. Look toward heaven, where there is a throne on which God is sitting and where the Lamb with seven eyes is standing to execute God’s administration through the churches as His embassies. Because the churches are God’s embassies, the enemy hates them. In Revelation 4 and 5 we have a vision of our central government, and in Revelation 1 through 3 we have a vision of the local churches as the embassies. Through the seven Spirits there is a transmission going on from the heavenly headquarters into the embassies. Through the seven Spirits what is in the headquarters is transmitted into the churches.
Now do you have some understanding of the things which are above? If we know these things, we shall see that the Lord Jesus has been crowned with glory and honor, that God has made Him both Lord and Christ. The fact that Christ is Lord of all means that the whole earth is the Lord’s. The enthroned and glorified Christ is also the Head, the Forerunner and Pioneer, the High Priest, the heavenly Minister, and the Lamb on the throne of God’s administration. From the throne in the heavens, the divine transmission brings the things above into the local churches.
Seeing a vision of the things which are above will revolutionize our daily living. It will cause us to turn our attention from the things on earth to the things in heaven—to the glorified and enthroned Jesus, to the heavenly High Priest, to the Head over all things to the church, to the One executing the divine government. Let us seek these things and set our mind on them.
We have pointed out that our natural virtues and characteristics are elements of the world. This is true, for example, of our self-imposed humility (2:23). Instead of caring for our own virtues, we should care for the Lord Jesus as the crowned One, the Head, Forerunner, High Priest, and Minister. We should care for the throne in heaven from which Christ, the Lamb with seven eyes, is executing God’s administration through the local churches.
I can testify that day by day I am strengthened by the divine transmission which flows from the throne in heaven to the churches on earth. The more I minister in the churches, the more I am supplied and the more I rest. Something from heaven is transmitted into my spirit.
In 3:1 and 2 Paul tells us not only to seek the things which are above, but also to set our mind on them. This means that we need to forget earthly things—culture, religion, philosophy, and the natural human virtues. Instead, let us lift up our eyes to the heavens and set our mind on the wonderful, excellent things, the things that are above. These are the things which can cause us to be transformed, for they transmit a heavenly element into us. Let us learn to open our spirit and our whole being to the heavens and keep the “switch” turned on so that the transmission from the divine power plant may flow into us unceasingly. Do not be distracted by religion, philosophy, or anything else. Focus your attention on the things above and stay open to the heavenly power plant. Then the riches of Christ’s heavenly ministry will be transmitted into you, and you will be transformed and constituted of Christ.