For the rebuilding of the temple of God, we need to be sons of oil, that is, we need to be filled with the Spirit for the building up of the church, and we need to flow out the Spirit as the golden oil into others for the church. Amen!
As those who are now on the genuine ground of oneness learning to live one spirit with the Lord to build up the church as the house of God, we need to spend time with the Lord and allow Him to look at us with His seven eyes.
On one hand, He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. On the other hand, He is the Lamb with seven eyes, and His eyes are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth to accomplish God’s economy.
Today God administrates the whole universe in Christ through the sevenfold intensified Spirit, the seven Spirits of God who are before the throne of God.
Outwardly, the seven Spirits operate and work to prepare the whole situation to carry out God’s administration.
Inwardly, we need to open to the Lord and allow Him to shine on us and in us with His seven eyes to search us, burn us, enlighten us, and infuse us with Himself.
When we look at someone’s eyes, we can sense what is in his heart; we can sense whether he is happy with us or not, whether he’s tired, not well, or happy.
When we look at the Lord and behold Him face to face, allowing Him to look at us, we can see what is in His heart.
On the negative side, beholding the Lord exposes our situation and condition, and we repent to the Lord.
On the positive side, beholding the Lord results in us being infused with the Lord and having our heart become a duplication of His heart.
May we learn to spend time with the Lord and let Him look at us with His seven eyes.
We should not rush our time with the Lord, and we should not be afraid of His shining.
The more He shines on us and in us, the more we can be infused with His element.
His shining exposes us, purges us, and judges anything that does not match Him in our being; at the same time, His shining infuses His element into our being.
There’s a transfusion going on when we open to the Lord and behold Him; what He is, what He feels, and what He thinks, is being infused into us to be constituted into us.
As He exposes, burns, purges, and purifies us, and as He infuses Himself into us, we are being transformed for God’s building.
May we allow the sevenfold intensified Spirit as the seven lamps of fire to burn, expose, enlighten, search, judge, purify, and refine us so that we may be part of the golden lampstands shining as the Lord’s testimony on the earth.
His shining, exposing, burning, purging, and infusing results in the building up of the church as the golden lampstand to bear God’s testimony on the earth today.
We need to be Sons of Oil Filled with the Spirit for the Building up of the Church
![And [there are] two olive trees beside it, one to the right of the bowl and one to the left...And I answered a second time and said to him, What are the two olive branches that are by the side of the two golden spouts, which empty the gold from themselves? And he spoke to me, saying, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, sir. And he said, These are the two sons of oil, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth. Zech. 4:3, 12-14](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/And-there-are-two-olive-trees-beside-it-one-to-the-right-of-the-bowl-and-one-to-the-left-683x1024.webp?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "And [there are] two olive trees beside it, one to the right of the bowl and one to the left...And I answered a second time and said to him, What are the two olive branches that are by the side of the two golden spouts, which empty the gold from themselves? And he spoke to me, saying, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, sir. And he said, These are the two sons of oil, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth. Zech. 4:3, 12-14")
In Zech. 4:1-14 we see two olive trees on the two sides of the lampstand, pouring oil into the lampstand for the shining of the lampstand.
These signify Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor at that time, who were the two sons of oil.
They were filled with the Spirit of Jehovah for the rebuilding of God’s temple.
The two olive trees signify Joshua and Zerubbabel, the high priest and the governor at that time, who were the two sons of oil.
Also, the two sons of oil are the two witnesses in the last three and a half years of the present age, who will be witnesses of God in the great tribulation for the strengthening of God’s peoples.
In the last three and a half years of this age, during the great tribulation, there will be two sons of oil, who will strengthen God’s peoples – the Israelites and the believers in Christ (Rev. 11:2-3; 12:17).
These two witnesses are Moses and Elijah; Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets, and they both testify for God to strengthen God’s people.
During the great tribulation, these two sons of oil, these two witnesses of God, will support and strengthen the persecuted Israelites and the believers.
Today there is the need for many saints to be such “sons of oil”, who “empty the gold from themselves” (Zech. 4:12).
The two olive trees were by the lampstands, and they supplied the lampstands with “golden oil”, that is, with oil for the burning of the fire.
To empty the gold from us is to cause the gold to flow out. Gold refers to the oil; the oil and the gold are one.
The oil refers to the Spirit, and gold refers to the nature of God, which is Spirit.
Gold typifies God, and the oil typifies the Spirit.
We need to be filled with Spirit and flow out the Spirit as the golden oil for the shining of the lampstand, for the Lord’s testimony to shine bright today.
Our bowl needs to be filled with the Spirit, and we need to flow out the Spirit to others as the golden oil for the shining of the Lord through the saints and through the church.
May we be those who are filled with the Spirit not only in our spirit through the exercise of our spirit but even in our soul, in our vessel, so that we may flow out the Spirit for the church.
When we minister Christ to others, supplying them with oil, we actually are supplying them with God.
As we enjoy the Lord day by day and exercise to live one spirit with Him, we can flow out God to others.
We can be and should be sons of oil, ministering Christ to others for the building up of the church.
We need to empty gold from ourselves, that is, flow out the Spirit into the saints for the building up of the church and for the intensifying of the shining of the Lord’s testimony on the earth.
Amen, may we all be olive trees emptying God from ourselves into others so that they may be filled with the Spirit and the lampstand would shine brightly!
We need to be the priests and kings today who are filled in spirit and who flow out the Spirit into others for the strengthening of the Lord’s testimony and the shining of the lampstand on the earth.
As we live the Christian life today and as we meet with other believers, we need to have some fresh oil to pour out to others, some “golden oil”, the Spirit overflowing from us, so that the church may be built up and the testimony of Jesus would shine brightly.
Lord Jesus, we want to be sons of oil who empty out the gold into others for the building up of the church! Amen, Lord, fill us with the Spirit! We want to be filled with the Spirit in our spirit and also in our soul. Fill our vessel today. May we gain more of the Spirit as the “golden oil”, and may we flow out the Spirit to others! May there be much overflow of the Spirit among us in the church life today! May all the saints be sons of oil filled with the Spirit and flowing out the Spirit into the saints and in the church life for the shining testimony of Jesus! Amen, Lord, gain the golden lampstands shining brightly for Your testimony on the earth today! Hallelujah for the local churches as the golden lampstands shining as the testimony of Jesus!
Being Filled with the Spirit as the Oil of Gladness and Flowing out the Spirit into the Lampstand for the Shining Testimony of Jesus
![And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. Matt. 25:8-9 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed and [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested, and eyesalve to anoint your eyes that you may see. Rev. 3:18](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/And-the-foolish-said-to-the-prudent-Give-us-some-of-your-oil-for-our-lamps-are-going-out-683x1024.webp?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. Matt. 25:8-9 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed and [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested, and eyesalve to anoint your eyes that you may see. Rev. 3:18")
In principle, all the believers in Christ should be sons of fresh oil, those who are filled with the Spirit as the oil of gladness and flow out the Spirit into the lampstand for the shining testimony of Jesus (Rev. 1:12, 20; Psa. 45:7; 46:4; 92:10; John 7:38).
Day by day we need to pay the price to be filled with the Spirit in our soul; we need to gain more of the Spirit as the golden oil not only in our spirit but also in our vessel.
Then, when we meet together, we need to flow out this “golden oil” into the lampstand for the shining testimony of Jesus.
The church is the golden lampstand; the church is the solid embodiment of the Triune God with the sevenfold intensified Spirit as the oil of God in His divine nature.
In Exodus, the lampstand signifies Christ as the embodiment of God; when the priests entered the tabernacle, the lampstand was shining, signifying that Christ as the embodiment of God shines as we approach God.
The lampstands in the book of Revelation signify the local churches; each local church is the testimony of Jesus in that locality, shining forth with Christ as the Spirit.
The gold is the basic element of the lampstand, and the oil is the burning element; gold refers to the divine nature, and the oil refers to the Spirit.
The gold is beaten together into a shape, the lampstand, and the oil is added for the burning of the lamps.
The lampstand is shining to express God in His Divine Trinity with the Father’s divine nature and essence (the element of gold), the Son’s image and appearance (the shape refers to Christ as the embodiment of God), and the Spirit’s expression.
The church is the solid embodiment of the Triune God with the sevenfold Spirit as the oil.
Today Christ as the High Priest comes to snuff all the negative things and add more oil to the church.
As seen in Rev. 1, Christ as the High Priest is walking among the local churches to trim the charred wicks of the lampstand by exposing their situation and to add the oil by His speaking.
As the Lord snuffs the negative things and adds the oil, the lampstands are shining brightly.
As we open to the Lord’s trimming and supplying, the natural element is reduced and the divine element is increased.
Eventually, the church has more gold, more of the divine nature.
Also, the church is filled with the sevenfold intensified Spirit for the intensified shining of the testimony of Jesus on the earth.
May we open to the Lord and allow Him to trim away, snuff, and remove anything of the natural man, and may we receive the fresh supply of oil from the Lord and from the saints who flow out the Spirit for the lampstand to be brightly shining.
Through this process of the natural element being reduced and the divine element being increased, we become the golden lampstand in reality, expressing the Triune God and shining Him forth.
When others look at us, they see Christ being expressed, the Spirit shining and flowing, and the Father in His nature being our very constitution.
May we daily pay the price to gain more gold, more of God in His divine nature, so that we can become a pure golden lampstand for the building of the golden New Jerusalem (2 Pet. 1:4; Rev. 3:18; 1:20; 21:18; Matt. 25:8-9).
As we are being transformed by the Spirit and we’re filled with the Spirit as the golden oil, we need to flow out the Spirit as the golden oil into others for the shining testimony of Jesus.
As we flow out with God and minister Christ to others, the shining of the lampstand is intensified.
Lord Jesus, we want to pay the price day by day to gain more of God and to be filled with the Spirit! Amen, Lord, fill us with Yourself today. Transform us into Your image and fill us with the Spirit in our spirit and in our soul. Fill us until we become the lampstand, the pure golden lampstand shining forth for the testimony of Jesus! We want to be filled with the Spirit to overflowing. May we be those who flow out the Spirit into the saints for the intensified shining of the Lord in the church! Amen, Lord, may we be those who minister Christ to others, supplying them with God, for the church as the golden lampstand to shine brightly!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Minoru Chen in the message for this week, and portions from, Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1984, vol. 3, “The Divine Economy,” ch. 15, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (2022 winter training), week 4, entitled, The Recovery of the Building of the House of God through the Divine Encouragement of the Prophets of God.
- Further reading on this topic:
– Buying the oil – a portion from The Kingdom, Chapter 17, by Witness Lee.
– The ministry of Christ in the stage of intensification, an article by Ed Marks in, Affirmation and Critique.
– When we come under God’s ruling, we immediately sense the flowing of the Spirit within, which is the Spirit’s fellowship. Read more via, Shepherding Words.
– The Spirit’s speaking to the churches equals the Lord’s working on the churches, and the Spirit’s speaking concerns the Lord’s work, a portion from, Four Crucial Elements of the Bible, The—Christ, the Spirit, Life, and the Church, Chapter 10, by Witness Lee. - Hymns on this topic:
– We have oil in our lamps—we are burning! / We have oil in our lamps today! / To the spirit, O Lord, keep us turning, / Keep us turning, turning all the way! / But our vessels need oil for Thy coming; / We must gain a reserve supply. / So our vessels we give for the filling / That our lamps may never, never die. (Hymns #1308 stanzas 1-2)
– There are seven golden lampstands in the nature all divine— / Nothing natural does the Body life allow. / When we’re one and share God’s nature, / how the lampstand then does shine— / Hallelujah, it is brightly shining now! / Hallelujah for the Body! / For the lampstands of the Body! / For the golden, shining Body! / Hallelujah, it is brightly shining now! (Hymns #1226 stanza 3)
– Thus will the Church be purified / To be the lampstand of pure gold, / To match the testimony pure, / The life of Jesus fit to hold. / The local churches here on earth / The lampstands in this age should be; / The glorious new Jerusalem / The lampstand in eternity. (Hymns #822 stanzas 8-9)
About aGodMan
The seven Spirits are burning on this earth today for the carrying out of God’s administration. The purpose of the burning flame in carrying out God’s economy is to bring forth the golden lampstands, the churches. Burning implies judging, purifying, refining, and producing…
I do not believe in the seemingly disappointing condition in the world or in the churches. I believe in the flame of the burning seven Spirits that control and direct the world and that also judge, purify, and refine the church to produce a pure golden lampstand.
We are here endeavoring to afford the Lord an opportunity and an entrance to judge us, purify us, and refine us to produce a pure golden lampstand. We are open wide to the flaming of the seven Spirits of God. We all need to pray,
…By His mercy,…we are open to Him. Every day, every morning, and every evening, we need to pray,
…I can testify that nearly every day I pray,
…We all need to pray,
Then the Lord has a way to produce a pure golden lampstand.
Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1984, vol. 3, “God’s New Testament Economy,” pp. 325-327
Amen! More oil today dear Lord keep us open!
Amen! O Lord Jesus snuff the natural and add the oil!
Aaaaameeen! More oil today Lord we pray added to our being, so we can empty God out of ourselves into others for the lampstands, Your shining testimony!
What a blessing it is to have the church life. In the genuine church life there are two basic elements: the golden nature of God and His burning Spirit.
As time goes by, Christ our High Priest snuffs out all the negative things in our being and adds the oil of God’s Spirit, transfusing us with more & more of His divine nature.
Only in the genuine church is there an adequate supply of God’s golden nature and the supply of the Spirit that can flow out of us into others.
If we want to be “olive trees” that can empty God from ourselves into others, the full supply is under the shining of the lampstand.
May the Lord bless all the local churches and continue to visit us and minister to us with the sevenfold Spirit.
In chs. 3 and 4 the same person, Zerubbabel, is signified by a shoot (Zech. 3:8), a tree (vv. 3, 11), and a branch (v. 12).
This indicates that Zerubbabel himself is not the source.
He is not a tree complete in himself; rather, he is a tree that is actually a branch of another tree, and that tree is the source.
Moreover, Zerubbabel is also a shoot from the other tree, which tree is Christ.
Christ is the unique olive tree (Rom. 11:17 and note Rom. 11:17 note 2a), and Zerubbabel and all Christ’s believers are branches, shoots, of Christ (John 15:5a).
Thus, all the believers are the many olive trees, not in the sense of being separate trees but in the sense of being branches of Christ, the unique olive tree.
Zech. 4:12, footnote 1, Recovery Version Bible
Listen to the audio version of the agodman.com article entitled, Being Sons of Oil Filled with and Flowing out the Spirit for the Testimony of Jesus (based on the HWMR on, the Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther – week 4 day 6).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTLSnY_yTW4
The article is online at https://bit.ly/SonsofOilFilledinSpirit
Amen brother!
“And I answered a second time and said to him, *What are the two olive branches that are by the side of the two golden spouts, which empty the gold from themselves?”* (Zechariah 4:12)
This is the time for building the
temple of the Lord.That all the local churches may fully be restored. ‘Tis not the time for our house while God’s house lieth waste O brothers, for God’s building, rise up, make haste! Be strong, be strong, God’s dwelling place to build! The Lord of hosts is with us, with His glory ’twill be filled! Be strong, be strong, and work That all the nations may behold the temple of the Lord.
Hallelujah!😃
Oh Lord Jesus, snuff out everything that wants to divide and harm Your Body, and pour more oil to each of us and to Your Church.
The power of the sevenfold Spirit added more and more, in reality, is the gold, the Divine Nature into His Church, His Bride, His Body, His Army, where all human nature will decrease, and the divine nature will increase through the burning element of the lamp, the oil, and the essence of the oil is the element of the gold, God himself.
“…By this way the flesh, the natural life, and the old creation are being reduced in the local churches, and God’s divine element is being increased.”
If we don’t decrease, if we let our own ways to increase, we are not cooperating with God. We are delaying His second coming.😞
Lord help us to decrease in everything, even our own good self. There is no value within us. You are the only valuable thing we should harbor within us as a precious gold. Amen!