These branches are branching out over the wall (49:22), that is, they are spreading Christ over all restrictions, magnifying Him in all circumstances (Phil. 1:20). Genesis 49:22 says that Joseph's branches run over the wall. The wall signifies restriction. Since the day of Pentecost, wall after wall has been erected to restrict the spreading of the branches. One day Peter was even put into prison (Acts 12:3-4). But not even that stronghold could restrict the branching out. Year after year, decade after decade, and century after century, walls have been raised up by the opposers and by the enemy to restrict the church's fruitfulness. But the branches have run over the wall every time.
I can testify of this by what I have seen and experienced during the past fifty years. During these years I have seen the fruitfulness of the branches. Brother Nee, raised up by the Lord in China, was certainly a bough of a fruitful tree, a branch of the fruitful Christ. When I was with him, I became very clear that nothing could restrict his testimony. Brother Nee was burdened to bear a testimony of Jesus that was opposed to organized Christianity. As a result, even many Christians put up walls to restrict him, and they spread rumors about him. Let me give you an illustration of the evil rumors. After he was saved, Brother Nee received great help from a sister named Margaret E. Barber. Miss Barber had a co-worker named Miss Gross. Both Miss Barber and Miss Gross were missionaries who had come from Britain to China. However, by the time Brother Nee was saved, they had left their missions and were in China living by faith in God. Because Brother Nee received so much help from Miss Barber, Miss Gross also came to know him. Since Brother Nee was under the helping hand of Miss Barber, he was simultaneously also under the help of Miss Gross. In 1929 Miss Barber went to be with the Lord, and Miss Gross remained and moved to Shanghai. One day Miss Gross heard the report that a woman was living with Brother Nee, and she came to him to check with him about this. Brother Nee was still single, and, like Miss Barber, Miss Gross, as an elderly sister, loved him and was very concerned about him. Miss Gross said, "I have heard that a woman is staying with you. Is this true?" When Brother Nee answered, "Yes," Miss Gross rebuked him, asking how he, a single young man, could have a woman staying with him. Brother Nee related this incident to me himself to help me understand something about self-vindication. He told me that he was happy to be rebuked. He also told me that the woman staying with him was his mother. He said this, not to vindicate himself, but to render some help to me. When I asked Brother Nee why he did not tell Miss Gross about this, he replied, "She didn't ask me who the woman was. She only asked whether or not a woman was staying with me. When I told her that a woman was living with me, she rebuked me. I didn't say anything." This is one illustration of the rumors spread about Brother Nee.
Another illustration: Immediately after his wedding, a great turmoil was stirred up in Shanghai. This was another wall raised up by the enemy. Brother Nee showed me a newspaper, the leading newspaper in Shanghai and perhaps in all of China. In huge Chinese characters there was a negative article regarding his marriage. Brother Nee said to me, "Witness, in my whole life I never heard about such a thing happening after a wedding."
Today many rumors are being circulated about us, but as yet none of them are as evil as the rumors spread about Brother Nee. The fact that a rumor was circulated concerning a woman staying with Brother Nee indicates that the enemy was constantly trying to raise up walls to restrict his fruitfulness. But Brother Nee's fruitfulness has run over the wall. Today his fruit can be found throughout the earth. No one can wall it in. Even if some raise up a wall one hundred forty-four cubits high, the branches will still run over it.
As the years went by, I saw all the things that happened to Brother Nee. I thank the Lord that I was allowed to see those things and experience them with him. Thus, when I hear the rumors spread about me, I can laugh and say, "I am prepared for this. In the past I saw a wall one thousand feet high. But your wall is a mere fifteen feet." I would like to tell all the opposers throughout the United States, "I don't think you can build a wall one thousand feet high. Probably the highest wall you can build is five hundred feet. However, I have already experienced branching over a wall one thousand feet high." The Lord knows that I am not boasting. At least two elderly brothers from China among us here can testify that in the past I suffered together with Brother Nee. Having rumors spread about us is nothing new. If possible, we should tell the opposers they are wasting their time, for they cannot suppress this testimony. The higher the walls are built to restrict us, the faster the branches will spread over them.