If we are under a clear and expanding sky, we can have the adequate and proper coordination, a coordination that is altogether straight. In the first chapter of Ezekiel, the word straight is used a few times. In verse 7 it is used for the calf’s hoofs. In verse 23 it is used for the eagle’s wings: “Under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other.” This indicates that in our coordination we must be straight.
Sometimes the coordination in the local churches is not straight but is somewhat crooked. For example, brother A might fellowship a matter with brother B and then ask him not to tell brother C about this matter. But brother B goes to brother C, passes on the information to him, and then asks him not to say anything about this to brother D. This kind of coordination is political. We should never play politics in the church life. If we say something to one brother, we should be able to say it to others as well. This means that our wings must be straight. Our coordination must be frank, sincere, earnest, and straight.
Verse 24a says, “When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of a host.” Here we are told that as the living creatures moved, Ezekiel heard the voice of their wings. This means that as they moved 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 the proper coordination. It should not be the voice of an individual believer; it should 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 voiced something by himself, and what he spoke was usually rejected by the Lord Jesus. This was because he voiced it 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 stood there, they were like the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1. The voice which came out on the day of Pentecost was not the voice of an individual Peter but the voice of a corporate body.
On the one hand, the four living creatures stretched two of their wings for coordination, for moving, and for giving the voice. On the other hand, they used the other two wings to cover themselves. This indicates that in the church life, in the coordination, we all need to learn to hide ourselves under the Lord’s grace. Do not display yourself but instead hide yourself. Hide under the eagle’s wings. There should be no 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 sky is clear, if we have a straight coordination, and if we hide ourselves in the Lord and under His grace, there will be a beautiful situation among us in the church life.
If the situation of a local church is like that of the four living creatures described above, that church will be qualified and adequate to sound out the voice and to give a strong testimony. The voice will not be that of an individual person but will be like the sound of great 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 great waters. We need to look to the Lord that the testimonies of all the local churches would be like the great waters. One individual brother should not always speak something for the local church, but a coordinated body should sound the voice and give the testimony. Others will be astonished at this kind of voice, and they will say that the voice of this local church is like the sound of great waters.