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The vision the apostle John sees in the book of Revelation begins when he hears a voice speaking to him:

What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches….
— Revelation 1:11

He then turns around to see the voice that had spoken to him, and says,

…When I turned around, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man….
— Revelation 1:12-13

We all need to hear such a speaking, and to have such a turn, today, so that we too may see Christ as the one standing in the midst of the “golden lampstands,” which are the churches of God (v. 20). That is, to really see Christ, and to really participate in His work, we must find Him as the one who is today caring for the churches of God as His testimony on the earth.

So, in this episode we consider the churches of God as the golden lampstands, with Christ walking in their midst.

Length: 56 minutes

To download the pamphlet we use as
the basis for this study, go to this page:
“What Is God’s Purpose for the Church?”
To view the pamphlet online,
go to the “Look Inside” page.

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RESOURCES

Pamphlet: “What Is God’s Purpose for the Church?”
Look Inside: “What Is God’s Purpose for the Church?”

Previous Episodes in this Series:
Podcast Series: “What Is the Church?”

Video: “How I Found the New Testament Fellowship.”

The Website for the Church of the Chicagoans: ChicagoMeeting.org

Books
E.H. Broadbent, The Pilgrim Church
Witness Lee, The Genuine Ground of Oneness
Witness Lee, The Life and Way for the Practice of the Church Life
Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Church Life
David Canfield, Writings on the Turmoil Among the Churches

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BIBLE VERSES REFERENCED…

In this Series:
Ephesians 1:22-23: The Body, the fullness of Christ.
Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13: The many members of Christ.
John 1:12-13, 3:3-8, 2 Peter 1:4: Born anew with the divine life and nature.
Ephesians 2:19, 1 Corinthians 1:9: God’s family and the fellowship of God’s Son.
Revelation 1:10-13: The seven churches as the golden lampstands.

In this Episode:
Psalm 133: The blessing on the oneness.
1 Corinthians 3:9, 11-13, 1 Peter 2:5: Transformed into stones for God’s building.
Ephesians 3:11: The purpose of the ages.
Philippians 3:7-11: Pursuing Christ to gain and know Him.
1 Corinthians 15:45, 1 Corinthians 3:17: Christ as the life-giving Spirit.
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Recorded…
in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday, 10 July 2025