In the Bible there is the principle of confirmation by two witnesses. Thus, Joseph had two dreams. In Joseph's second dream he saw the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowing down to him (37:9). This indicates that in the eyes of God all the condemned and accused people are full of light. Be careful not to accuse the brothers and sisters. The reigning aspect of the maturity of life never condemns others. Rather, it shepherds and appreciates them. It says, "Oh, the church life and all the saints are wonderful! The saints are sheaves full of life. How nourishing and satisfying they are! Furthermore, they are heavenly luminaries full of light." If you say that it is a lie to speak this way and that you cannot do it, it means that you have not seen the dream, the vision. You are lacking the heavenly view.
Let me address this question to those who have been in the church life a long time: Do you still feel that the church is so good and that all the saints are wonderful? If you are honest, you will admit that you have criticized certain saints to your wife or husband. Perhaps some years ago you felt positively about all the brothers and sisters, but not today. Years ago, according to your natural view, all the saints were so good. But today you need the view of the heavenly dream. In Genesis 37 there are two dreams. One is of sheaves full of life, and the other of the heavenly host full of light. This is God's view, the heavenly view, of His people. Because I have this heavenly view, I am greatly encouraged. I am not working with "gophers" and "scorpions." I am serving the sheaves, I am under the sun and moon, and I am walking among the stars. The dream Joseph saw is similar to the vision in Revelation 12, where God's people are signified by the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with the crown of twelve stars upon her head. We need such a vision to see God's people from the heavenly viewpoint.
One thing is certain: Whoever condemns the church or blames the saints will suffer the loss of life. There is not one exception to this. You may be right, and the church may actually be wrong. The condition of the saints may be that of "gophers" and "scorpions." But if you condemn them, you will suffer the loss of life. However, if you say, "Lord, I praise You because Your people are full of life and light," you will be the first to participate in life. For this reason, I dare not say that the brothers and sisters are not good. Rather, I always say, "Praise the Lord! How good the saints are!" When I do this, I enjoy life. But if I were to criticize the brothers and sisters, I would immediately suffer death. No one who speaks negatively concerning the church or the saints enjoys life. On the contrary, all those who speak negatively suffer death. We need to say, "Praise the Lord, my brother will be a heavenly light! If he is not so today, he will be in the future." With God there is no time element. There is no clock in heaven, only eternity. As God views His people from the standpoint of eternity, He sees them all as sheaves full of life and as the sun, moon, and stars full of light.