The Local Churches Typified in the Book of Psalms

Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee

[Psalm 132] Verse 13: “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.” Zion, which represents the local churches, is the choice of God, the desire of God. This word in verse 13 is the word of the Psalmist, but when we continue into verse 14, we see that it is also the word of the Lord Himself: “This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” While the Psalmist was speaking in verse 13, the Lord suddenly intervened to speak Himself in verse 14. David had said, “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.” Then the Lord immediately continued, “This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.”

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 201)

[C]oncerning the church as the local mountains of Zion, we may have problems, for we may not be happy with the church in our locality, and we may desire to move elsewhere. But if we move to another city, we soon find the same problems in that place. The reason is that we ourselves are the same and that we are the cause of the problem. Some have assured me that they would never leave the church life. Nevertheless, discontent where they are, they like to have their choice of a “mountain.” I can testify that as far as I am concerned, every “mountain” is the same. No matter where I am, I still praise the Lord and experience His work of transformation.

Those who move from place to place may love the universal church, but they have problems with the local church. They may declare that they have seen the Body of Christ and that they love the Lord’s recovery. However, no matter in what locality they reside, they always have some difficulty with that “peak” of Zion. They may imagine that a church in a particular locality is outstanding. But as soon as they move there, they are disappointed, finding it no better than the “mountain” from which they have just moved. There is no need for us to move from “mountain” to “mountain.” We should simply dwell on one of the peaks of Zion and enjoy there the descending dew of Hermon [Psalm 133].

(Witness Lee, Genuine Ground, 94)

1. Being Possessed by the Lord

[Psalm 68] Verses 15 and 16: “The mighty mountain, Mount Bashan; the many-peaked mountain, Mount Bashan; why do ye look with envy, ye many-peaked mountains, at the mountain which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it forever.” I believe that this is the best translation of these verses. (The word for God in Hebrew is “mighty”; therefore the translators of the King James version called Mount Bashan “the hill of God.” But if we translate the Hebrew word “mighty” as “God” in this verse, it is really difficult to understand. This verse does not mean that.) Mount Bashan is a mighty mountain, a mount in the heathen land east of Jordan. In the translation we have given, the meaning is clear. Mount Zion is the mount which God desires to dwell in, and the other mountains, or rather the many-peaked mountain, looks upon the mountain of God with envy. We have experienced this. Some…are envious of the local churches. Many times they would say, “Why do the local churches get the blessing?” It is because God dwells in Zion—that is the only reason. God desires to dwell in the local churches, and all the blessing comes from His presence. Yea, the Lord will dwell here forever. He has a dwelling place here on this earth in the local churches! “The chariots of God are twenty thousands, even thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the sanctuary” (v. 17). Hallelujah!

(Witness Lee, Christ and the Church, 108)

Main

God’s House

Zion

City of God

Bride

Practical Salvation

Built Up

Victory

Bibliography

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