Hebrews 12:29 says, “For our God is also a consuming fire.” Revelation 4:2-3a reads, “Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting; and He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.” Verse 5 continues, “And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” This verse speaks of seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Then chapter five verse 6 states, “And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as having just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” This verse says that a Lamb was standing before the throne of God and that the Lamb has seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. Chapter four tells us that the seven Spirits of God are the seven lamps of fire, but here it says that the seven Spirits are the seven eyes of the Lamb. This verse also tells us that these seven Spirits are sent forth into all the earth.
Revelation 1:13a reads, “And in the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet.” The lampstands in this verse refer to the churches. In the midst of the lampstands, the churches, there is One like the Son of Man. Then verse 14 follows, “And His head and hair were as white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout all the earth to strengthen those whose heart is perfect toward Him.” From this verse we can see that the eyes of Jehovah are running to and fro throughout all the earth.
On the one hand, Christ has ascended to heaven, but on the other hand, He has come to tens of thousands of people as the Holy Spirit. How can Christ be in heaven while at the same time be the Holy Spirit? We have to know that after the Lord’s death and resurrection, the age of the Holy Spirit began. In other words, after the Lord ascended to heaven, He came to the earth through the Holy Spirit to reach all who believe in Him. Hence, from His ascension to His second coming, this period of time is called the age of the Holy Spirit.
How does the Lord work on the earth in the age of the Holy Spirit? We all know that after the Lord’s ascension, the Holy Spirit descended. Today the Holy Spirit, who is omnipresent, is working in the hearts of thousands of people. He is like the electric radio waves that cover the whole earth. The Bible does not tell us much about the situation in heaven after the Lord’s ascension. At the end of the four Gospels, there it says only that the Lord has ascended to heaven; as for the situation in heaven after His ascension or what He is doing in heaven, there is no detailed account. However, we must thank the Lord that there are two chapters in the Bible that specifically record the situation in heaven after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension. These two chapters are Revelation 4 and 5.
The first three chapters of Revelation speak of the various situations of the churches. In the midst of the churches on the earth, Christ is walking as the Son of Man in the midst of the golden lampstands. How can the Lord Jesus walk in the midst of the golden lampstands? Today the church that we are in is one of the many golden lampstands. I deeply believe that the Lord is walking among us. However, how does He walk among us? The Lord is with the church, but we can neither see this with our eyes nor touch it with our hands. In Matthew 28 the Lord clearly promised that even though He would ascend to heaven, He would still be with the disciples. He promised that He would be with them not only for one time or in a temporary way but all the days until the consummation of the age—until the time that He comes back. Therefore, the Lord’s being with His disciples after His ascension is from the time of His ascension until His coming again. This is the promise that the Lord personally gave to the disciples at His ascension. Since He made such a promise, He surely will fulfill it. The situation of the church over the past two thousand years testifies that the ascended Lord has never left the church. He has been with the church the entire time.
Some people may ask, “How can the Lord be with the church? How can the Lord walk among the churches? Is He among us now?” Outwardly, we may say that the Lord is not with the church or with us because we cannot see Him or touch Him. However, the Lord clearly said that He is with the church. On the day the apostle John was on the island of Patmos, he saw the vision of the seven golden lampstands, which refer to the seven churches. We say that the church is a lampstand because a lampstand is a luminary that shines in darkness, and the church is a shining lamp in this age of darkness. In this world of darkness, the church is shining as a lamp, and Jesus Christ is walking in the midst of these seven lampstands, the churches. The apostle John saw this vision. Hence, not only did the Lord promise that His presence would be with the church, but the apostle John also saw it.
Revelation 4 and 5 show us the Christ in heaven, and the first three chapters of Revelation show us the Christ in the church. The Christ in the church is the Christ in heaven. Today the Christ on the earth is in the midst of His churches. Therefore, on the one hand, Christ is in heaven, and on the other hand, Christ is on earth, walking among His churches.