The Local Churches Typified in the Book of Psalms

Zion as a Symbol of the Universal Church and the Local Church

1. Being Possessed by the Lord

Psalm 24 refers to the hill of Zion as “the hill of the Lord,” indicating that even though the Lord may not yet have taken possession of the rest of the earth, Zion is fully possessed by Him. Likewise each local church, while representing only a small proportion of its city, is the Lord’s possession. Witness Lee explains:

Psalm 24 is one of the deepest of all the Psalms, and it is rather difficult to understand. It opens by saying, “The earth is the Lord’s.” Psalm 8 speaks of the excellence of the Lord’s name in all the earth. But this Psalm goes beyond that: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the habitable earth, and they that dwell therein.” This means that the Lord has the right, the title, to this earth. “For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the ocean currents.” He has established it, so it is His. Apparently, the earth today is not the Lord’s. Even when this Psalm was written the earth was apparently not the Lord’s. But have you realized that on this earth there was at least a hill, which was called the hill of His holiness, and at least that hill was His? Thus, verse 3 says, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” The earth is the Lord’s, but actually today the earth is not the Lord’s. Yet on this earth there is at least a hill, at least a spot, which is the Lord’s.

Let me illustrate. Is Los Angeles today the Lord’s? No. But do you realize that today in Los Angeles there is a hill? Praise the Lord! In typology, Zion at that time was the hill. The hill of Zion was one hundred percent possessed by the Lord, though the entire earth was not. We may express it this way: the earth is the Lord’s, yet only the hill of Zion was actually possessed by the Lord. Likewise, Los Angeles is the Lord’s, but only the hill of the local church is possessed today by the Lord. Is California the Lord’s? No. But in California there are some hills, there are some local churches, and these places are possessed by the Lord.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 53-54)

Witness Lee goes on to point out that each local church, if it is fully open to and possessed by the Lord, will become a “stepping-stone” on this usurped earth from which the Lord can return to regain the whole earth for Himself.

Verse 3 asks, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?” The answer is, Christ and His brethren. The church is a hill which is occupied by the Lord today as the very stepping-stone, the beachhead, for the Lord to come back. The earth is the Lord’s, but today the earth is usurped; yet in this usurped earth there is a spot, a hill, which is the stepping-stone for the Lord to return to take the whole earth.

Verse 7: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye ancient doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” As the hill of Zion we must have our doors open that Christ may come. According to an article which I believe to be accurate, this Psalm was written at the occasion of David’s returning the ark to Zion. It was in that kind of situation, with that kind of background, that David wrote Psalm 24. Zion was there, and the gates and doors were there. Then David said, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye ancient doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” This is Christ. The ark was the type of Christ. The ark coming in typified Christ coming in.

In Revelation 3:20 the Lord said to the church in Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.” This verse indicates that even some of the local churches shut the Lord Jesus outside. Do not imagine that as long as we are the local church, the Lord Jesus is among us. In a sense He is, but in another sense He may be shut out. Even today, while we are enjoying the Lord’s presence so much, we still must say, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye ancient doors.” We all must be so open to the Lord. If Christ could not come in to the church today in an adequate and fuller way, how could Christ come back to the earth? If the church, if Zion, is not absolutely open to Him, how can we expect the earth to be open to Him? So today we must respond and say, “Yes, open the doors, let us all open widely to Him. Come in, O come in, Lord! Before You come back to the earth, come in to the church, come in to fully possess this little hill, the hill of Zion.”

In the background of Psalm 24, the hill of Zion was there, but the ark was missing. Now the ark is coming in; Christ is coming in. And while the ark was entering, David said, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye ancient doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” We may be the hill of Zion, we may be the local church, but the King of glory is not so absolutely within. We need to be open, we need to be lifted up, to let the King of glory come in all the way. Then the church will be the stepping-stone, the beachhead, for the Lord to return and possess the earth.

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 54-55)

Main

God’s House

Zion

City of God

Bride

Practical Salvation

Built Up

Victory

Bibliography

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