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IV. As the Burning Christ
Revelation 1:15 goes on to describe Christ as One who has flaming eyes and feet like shining brass burned in a furnace, indicating that He is the burning, judging Christ. Witness Lee describes below the believers’ experience of Christ as the burning, purifying One among the local churches.
Then we read that the Christ in Revelation has eyes as a flame of fire and feet like fine brass as if they burned in a furnace. All this means that He is burning. He is ancient, He is living, and He is burning! In the local churches there should be no coldness or lukewarmness [cf. Rev. 3:16], because Christ is the burning One. He is not only living, but He is also burning. Would we be willing to pray-read [to pray the words of the Bible; cf. Eph. 6:17-18] for 15 minutes and allow Christ to look upon us with His burning eyes? We must remember that He has seven eyes! Revelation 5:6 tells us that His seven eyes are the seven Spirits of God. The seven Spirits of God are like seven lamps of burning fire (Rev. 4:5). If we allow these seven eyes to look upon us, surely we will be burned. If we can pray-read for 15 minutes and yet be cold, our pray-reading must be wrong. There must be some kind of insulation, insulating us from within; otherwise, we will be burned. Christ is not only living, but He is also burning. We all must be burning! Do not speak to me too much; otherwise, you will be burned! I am burning! Every member in the local churches must be so burning….Christ is the One who is walking in the midst of the local churches, and He is the High Priest whose work is accomplished, but who has a concern of love for the local churches. He is also the One who is so ancient, so living, and so burning.
Suppose Christ were here today with His seven burning eyes and His feet like brass burning in a furnace. Would we dare to contact Him? In the local church, Christ is walking in the midst as such a burning One. (59-60)
V. Having a Voice as the Sound of Many Waters
Christ’s voice is described “as the sound of many waters,” implying that He is not silent, but full of praise (Rev. 1:15). Witness Lee recommends in the following excerpt that the believers in the local churches contact this vocal Christ, the One who leads the praise to the Father (Heb. 2:12), in order to be filled with Him. As a result, the meetings of a local church will not be full of silence, but full of living praise to the Lord.
Christ is not so silent. He was somewhat silent when He was walking upon this earth, but today He is different. Today He is in the local churches with a voice as the sound of many waters. We all must be living and voicing. We are not serving a silent Christ, but One with a voice as the sound of many waters. When we come together in the local churches, we need to have many a sound. In the local churches, Christ is not so silent. We must be filled with Him; then our praises will be just like the sound of many waters. “O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah!“ We need to be noisy, because the very Christ who is within us and who is walking in our midst is a Christ with a loud voice….He is even going to revolutionize our meetings. There is no need for us to keep the old way. There must be something new and living all the time….[If] you would…contact the living Christ who is walking in the midst of the local churches, you will be burning. Why are you so silent? It is because you read too much. Why are you so silent? It is because you never say, “O Lord, Amen, Hallelujah!” If you try, you will see. You will be burned, and you will jump up and shout. You can never be so silent if you contact the Christ in Revelation. Something will burn within you. This is the way Christ is today in the local churches.
We must not bring our past impression of Christ into the local churches. We must have a new impression of Christ. The Christ who is walking in the midst of the local churches is very ancient, yet so living and burning. He has seven burning eyes, His feet are as brass burning in a furnace, and His voice is like the sound of many waters…. Praise the Lord that we have seen such a Christ! (60-62)
Witness Lee comments here on the aspects of Christ in Revelation as the burning One and as the One having a “voice as the sound of many waters.” As the burning One, Christ is working to purify the local churches. Witness Lee also notes that the believers in the local churches, like the One whose voice is as the sound of many waters, must also be living and “voicing.” Personal contact with the Christ portrayed here makes those in the local church living, burning, and full of praise.
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