The Issue of Our Turning to Our Spirit (Integrated Table)

The Issue of Our Turning to Our Spirit (Integrated Table)

Genesis 28:12 He dreamed of a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached into heaven, and the angels of God were on it, going up and coming down.

Genesis 28:17 Then he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven.”

Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may be mercy and receive grace and be our timely help.

Ephesians 2:22 In him you are also being built up, becoming the dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

2 Timothy 4:22 The Lord be with your Spirit; grace be with you. 

Aspect	Issue / Result	Scriptural Basis	Key Points
① Foundation	Our regenerated spirit is God’s dwelling place today and the base on which Christ, the heavenly ladder, is set up on the earth	Eph. 2:22; 2 Tim. 4:22; Gen. 28:12	The Lord is with our spirit, and God dwells in our spirit. The ladder is “set up on the earth,” and this earth is our spirit
② The immediate experience of turning	We experience Christ as the ladder, bringing God to us and bringing us to God	Gen. 28:12; John 1:51	Christ is the heavenly ladder joining heaven and earth, linking our spirit to heaven and bringing heaven into our spirit
③ The place we enter	We enter the Holy of Holies and meet God at the throne of grace	Heb. 4:16 (cf. Heb. 10:19-22)	The moment we turn to our spirit, we enter the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies is not far away; it is in our spirit
④ The gate of entry	We enter the gate of heaven	Gen. 28:16-17	Our spirit is Bethel: the house of God and the gate of heaven. After Jacob awoke he said, “Surely Jehovah is in this place,” and today, when we turn to our spirit, we likewise recognize that God is right here
⑤ The reality we touch	We touch the throne of grace in heaven, receive mercy, find grace, and obtain timely help	Heb. 4:16	Every time we turn to our spirit, we touch the throne through Christ as the heavenly ladder and receive God’s supply
⑥ Four realities where the ladder is	An open heaven (heaven open to us, with no barrier between us and God)	Gen. 28:12; John 1:51	“You will see heaven opened.” Heaven and earth are unobstructed
	A transformed man  (a natural man transformed)	Gen. 28:13-15 (cf. Gen. 32:28, Jacob renamed Israel)	God’s presence, promise, and keeping transform the natural Jacob into Israel
	The anointing oil  (the anointing of Christ)	Gen. 28:18 (the stone set up as a pillar, oil poured on top)	This man has the anointing oil upon him, a type of the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the mingling with Christ
	The house of God  (the building)	Gen. 28:17, 19; Eph. 2:22	The house of God is built with this transformed, anointed man
⑦ The ultimate result	First Bethel, which is the church, the Body of Christ, and finally the consummation in the New Jerusalem	Gen. 28:17; Eph. 2:21-22; Rev. 21:2-3, 10-11	Bethel is the initial appearing of God’s house, the church is its reality today, and the New Jerusalem is its eternal consummation, which is the ultimate completion of the ladder

One-Sentence Summary

Turn to the spirit → Christ as the ladder → enter the Holy of Holies / the gate of heaven → touch the throne of grace → an open heaven, a transformed man, the anointing oil, and the house of God → Bethel (the church) → the New Jerusalem.

 

*Please refer to the 2026 Autumn Training for Elders and Responsible Brothers, General Topic: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Part Six: The Dream of Bethel

Four Aspects of God’s Throne: Comparison Table

 

Four Aspects of God’s Throne: Comparison Table

In brief:

The Bible speaks of only one throne (Rev. 4:2). The four titles are the same throne seen from different angles, at different stages, and in relation to different people. “Ruling” and “administrative” are two ways of describing the same aspect, one stressing authority and the other its execution. 

Item	The Throne of God’s Rule	The Throne of God’s Administration	The Throne of Grace	The Throne of God and of the Lamb
Main Scriptures	Rev. 4:2; Dan. 7:9; Psa. 47:8	Rev. 4:5, 5:1; Dan. 7:9-10; Psa. 97:2	Heb. 4:16; Heb. 9:3, 5	Rev. 22:1-3; Rev. 7:17; Rev. 3:21
Aspect emphasized	Authority, sovereignty, kingship	Managing the universe and carrying out God’s plan	Mercy, grace, supply	The throne in which God and Christ (the Lamb) are one, becoming the source of life
Scene of the throne	Set in heaven, with One sitting on it in glorious appearance	Rainbow, lightning, thunders, lamps of fire; the scroll in the hand of the One on the throne	Blood sprinkled on the mercy seat, with Christ as the High Priest	A river proceeding out of the throne, bright as crystal, with the tree of life in it
Old Testament type	(Fewer types; mostly direct revelation)	The fiery throne in Daniel	The mercy seat (propitiation cover) upon the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies	The consummation of the river and tree of life in Eden  (Gen. 2:9-10)
Nature and function	A throne of rule over the whole universe	God exercises administration through it so that His economy may be accomplished	The place where believers receive mercy, find grace, and obtain timely help	God and Christ ruling together and also supplying God’s people together
Those concerned	The whole universe	The whole universe (including unbelievers and demons)	Believers	Believers (the overcomers and all the saints in the New Jerusalem)
To unbelievers vs. to believers	To unbelievers, a throne of authority	To unbelievers, a throne of judgment and dealing	To believers, a throne of grace	To unbelievers, authority; to us, a throne from which the water of life flows
Christ’s position	Christ is the Lord on the throne	The Lamb is worthy to open the scroll (Rev. 5)	Christ is the High Priest whose blood cleanses us and enables us to come boldly	The Lamb in the midst of the throne shepherds us  (Rev. 7:17)
Our experience	Fear and obedience	Being dealt with and arranged under God’s administration	Coming boldly, sensing something flowing to moisten and supply us	Drinking the water of life, eating the tree of life, serving God and reigning with Him  (Rev. 22:3-5)
Location	Above  the heavens	Above the heavens	Above the heavens, yet joined to our spirit through Christ (our spirit is today’s Bethel)	In the city of New Jerusalem
Relation to grace	The authoritative basis of grace	The background and guarantee for the dispensing of grace	The place where grace is taken	The consummation of grace: grace is the river with the tree of life growing in it

Points of Integration

1.      One throne, three stages: The throne in Revelation 4 is the throne of rule and administration. In Hebrews 4, because of Christ’s blood and His High Priesthood, this throne becomes a throne of grace to believers. In Revelation 22, the throne becomes the throne of God and of the Lamb, from which the river flows, so that grace is consummated and expressed as the supply of life.

2.      Authority and grace do not conflict: The throne of administration is the foundation (Psa. 97:2 says righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne). The blood sprinkled on the mercy seat (Lev. 16:15) makes God’s authority in Christ the ground for dispensing grace to us. Hence it is a throne of authority to unbelievers, but a throne of grace to us.

3.      The meaning of “God and the Lamb”: The Lamb is the redeeming Christ, and the throne is God’s administration. Their oneness on the throne shows that God’s administration and Christ’s redemption are one. The goal of the throne’s rule is to flow out the water of life, supplying and satisfying His people.

4.      How we come: Coming to the throne of grace is altogether a matter in the spirit. Christ is in our spirit and has brought the third heaven into our spirit, making it the gate of heaven, with the throne right inside the gate. Calling “O Lord Jesus” immediately touches this throne.

 

*Please refer to the 2026 Autumn Training for Elders and Responsible Brothers, General Topic: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Part Six: The Dream of Bethel

The Lord Jesus “Coming by Incarnation” vs. “Going by Death and Resurrection”: An Integrated Comparison

 

The Lord Jesus “Coming by Incarnation” vs. “Going by Death and Resurrection”: An Integrated Comparison

1 John 14 "The Word became flesh and pitched its tabernacle among us."

John 14 6 "No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14 20 "You are in me, and I in you."

I. Core Comparison Table

Item	Coming by Incarnation  (John 1:14)	Going by Death and Resurrection (John 14:6, 20)
Direction	From God to man, descending from heaven to earth	From man to God, ascending from earth to heaven
Image of the ladder	The ladder “set up on the earth”: its lower end rests in humanity (Gen. 28:12)	The ladder’s “top reached to heaven”: its upper end reaches God Himself (Gen. 28:12)
Main accomplishment	Bringing God into man	Bringing man into God
Stage of Christ	Becoming flesh and living a human life (the God-man living)	Crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension
Key verses	John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us”	John 14:6: “No one comes to the Father except through Me”; 14:20: “You are in Me, and I am in you”
What is manifested	“Full of grace and reality”; God’s glory is displayed	He is “the way and the reality and the life,” the way to the Father
Resulting relationship	God enters man: God and man are joined in the one person of Christ	Man enters God: believers are brought into God’s life and presence
Position on the ladder	The “descending” aspect: heaven (God) comes to earth	The “ascending” aspect:  earth (man) is joined to heaven
Fulfillment of John 1:51	“The angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”:  the Son of Man is where heaven and earth meet	The same verse: the Son of Man is the way for man to go up and for heaven to come down

II. Integrated Revelation: One Coming and One Going Complete the Ladder

Aspect	Explanation
Christ is the reality of the ladder	As the Son of Man, Christ in His humanity is the ladder set up on the earth. Being both God and man, He has both divinity and humanity, so He can be connected to both heaven and earth at once.
Coming: God enters man	Incarnation made God a man and brought God into humanity. His flesh is the tabernacle where God dwells (1:14).
Going: man enters God	Through death and resurrection, Christ was glorified and His humanity entered the divine realm of life. His death terminated all that is sinful and of the old creation, and His resurrection regenerates believers in Him so that they enter into God.
The flesh and the “veil”	Hebrews 10:19–20 says that through His flesh we have a new and living way. His flesh, like a veil, was rent in death, so “coming” and “going” are two sides of one matter.
Mutual indwelling in John 14:20	“I am in My Father” speaks of His union with the Father. “You are in Me, and I am in you” speaks of the believers’ union with Him. This is the final result of the coming and the going: God and man indwelling one another.
After resurrection	The resurrected Christ became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17) and can enter into the believers’ spirit. Thus the ladder is no longer only a historical one but one we can experience today.

III. Connection to Your Outline (Point III: Our Regenerated Spirit)

Outline point	Relation to “Coming”	Relation to “Going”
Heb. 10:19: boldness to enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus	His flesh is the material of that “way”	His blood, death, and resurrection opened this way for us
The Holy of Holies is in heaven (Heb. 9:12, 24), yet we are on earth	Christ has already brought God to us	Christ has already entered heaven itself and brings us in
The secret: our spirit (Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 4:22)	The Christ in heaven is also in our spirit today, a continuation of the “coming”	The moment we turn to our spirit, we enter the Holy of Holies, which is the practice of the “going”
Heb. 4:16: the throne of grace	God’s throne has become a throne of grace to us	We may come boldly and fearlessly to the throne
Eph. 2:22: the spirit as God’s dwelling place	God has a dwelling place in our spirit, the base of the ladder on earth	We are built together in Him as God’s dwelling place

IV. Additional Verses for Cross-Reference

Theme	Scripture
God becoming flesh	1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:6–8
Death releasing life	John 12:24 (a grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying produces much fruit)
Resurrection regenerating man	1 Pet. 1:3; John 20:17 (“My Father and your Father”), 20:22 (breathing in: “Receive the Holy Spirit”)
Christ’s body as the temple	John 2:19–21
The consummation of the God-man mingling	John 14:20; 15:4–5; 1 Cor. 6:17

V. Summary

• Coming is God entering man: through incarnation, Christ brought God into humanity.
• Going is man entering God: through death and resurrection, Christ brings man into God’s life.
• Together, they form one complete ladder joining God and man.
• Today we enjoy this ladder in our regenerated spirit: when we turn to our spirit, we enter the Holy of Holies and meet God on the throne of grace.

 

*Please refer to the 2026 Autumn Training for Elders and Responsible Brothers, General Topic: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Part Six: The Dream of Bethel