I will build my church,

and the gates of Hades

shall not prevail against it.
– Matt. 16:18
Revelation
1:9 I John, your brother and fellow
partaker in the tribulation and kingdom
and endurance in Jesus, was on the
island called Patmos because of the word
of God and the testimony of Jesus.

1:10 I was in spirit on the Lord’s Day

and heard behind me a loud voice like a
trumpet,

1:11 Saying, What you see write in a

scroll and send it to the seven churches:
to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to
Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis
and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.
 The church at the end of
the first stage, during the
latter part of the first
century.
The problem with the
church at Ephesus was the
fading of the first love
toward the Lord.

This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from
me… (2 Tim. 1:15a)
The Desolation of the Church:
Divisions
For it has been made clear to me concerning you, my
brothers, by those of the household of Chloe, that there are
strifes among you.
Now I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I
of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
(1 Cor. 1:11-12)
False Apostles, Fierce Wolves, and Perverted Men
I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in
among you, not sparing the flock.
And from among you yourselves men will rise up, speaking
perverted things to draw away the disciples after them.
(Acts 20:29-30)
And every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God;
and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have
heard that it is coming and now is already in the world.
(1 John 4:3)
Heretical Doctrines and Forsaking the Teaching of the
Apostles
And every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God;
and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard
that it is coming and now is already in the world.
(1 John 4:3)
This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from
me…
(2 Timothy 1:15)
Idolatry and Spiritual Fornication
But I have something against you, that you tolerate the
woman Jezebel, she who calls herself a prophetess and
teaches and leads My slaves astray to commit fornication
and to eat idol sacrifices.
(Revelation 2:20)
Hindrances from the Jewish Religion, Greek Culture, and
Roman Politics
And the king became angry, and he sent his troops
and destroyed those murderers and burned their
city. (Matthew 22:7)

This word concerning the destruction of Jerusalem

was fulfilled when Titus destroyed Jerusalem.
But He answered and said to them, Do you not see
all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall by
no means be left here a stone upon a stone, which
shall not be thrown down.
(Matthew 24:2)
 The church in Smyrna was
a suffering church,
prefiguring the church
under the persecution of
the Roman Empire from
the latter part of the first
century to the early part
of the fourth century
(c. A.D. 64-313).
“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
(Rev. 2:10b)
In the year 64, fire broke out in Rome. For six days and
nights the fire burned. Many Romans believed Nero
purposefully set the fire as part of his plan to rebuild
Rome. This aroused great hatred against the emperor.
To turn this hatred away from himself Nero accused the
Christians of having set fire to Rome.
Polycarp ( - 156AD) was probably the last surviving person to
have known an apostle, having been a taught by John.
He was arrested and brought before an immense crowd in
Smyrna.
When the proconsul reminded him of his great age and was
urged to “Revile Christ, and I will release you.”
Polycarp replied,

“86 years have I have served him, and he has

done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King
and my Savior?”
Polycarp asked not to be
fastened to the stake.

“Leave me thus,
He who strengthens
me to endure the
flames will also
enable me to stand
firm at the stake
without being
fastened with nails.”
The woodpile was lighted, and he
prayed with a loud voice.

“Lord God Almighty,

Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, I praise Thee that
Thou hast judged me
worthy of this day and of
this hour, to participate
in the number of Thy
witnesses, and in the
cup of Thy Christ.”
Many Christians in the city of Rome found a place of refuge in the
catacombs, which were underground passages. It was in these
catacombs that many Christians hid themselves in times of persecution.
Ten Persecutions under the Roman Emperors:
First Persecution Nero Peter was and Paul were martyred
(A.D. 54-68)
2nd Persecution Domitian John was exiled to Patmos
(A.D. 81-96)
3rd Persecution Trajan Ignatius was thrown to the lions
(A.D. 98-117)
4th Persecution Marcus Polycarp was burned alive
Aurelius Justin Martyr was beheaded
(A.D. 161-180)
5th Persecution Severus Perpetua and Felicitas were martyred
(A.D. 193-211)
6th Persecution Maximinus Roman senator, nobleman and family,
(A.D. 235-237) noble lady and numberless Christians
were slain without trial
7th Persecution Decius Seven soldiers who refused to sacrifice
(A.D. 249-251) to idols were sealed in a cave;
Origen was tortured
8thPersecution Valerian Banned Christians’ meetings under
(A.D. 253-260) threat of death Persecution covered
Rome, Spain, and North Africa
9th Persecution Aurelian
(A.D. 270-275)
10th Persecution Dioclesian Christians lose all their properties,
(A.D. 284-286) rank, privileges; Scriptures were burnt
The church in Pergamos
prefigures the church
which entered into a
marriage union with the
world and became a high
fortified tower, equivalent
to the great tree
prophesied by the Lord in
the parable of the mustard
seed (Matt. 13:31-32).
In AD 312, Constantine met
Maxentius at Milvian Bridge
near Rome. The day before
the battle, Constantine is
generally believed to have
seen the cross of light in the
sky with the words ”in this
sign conquer.”
He adopted the cross as his
emblem, on the next day, his
army won a complete victory.
When Satan failed to destroy the church
through the persecution of the Roman Empire
in the first three centuries, he changed his
strategy.
He sought instead to corrupt her through
Constantine’s welcoming her as the state
religion in the first part of the fourth century.
“But I have a few things against you, because
you have some there who hold the teaching
of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a
stumblingblock before the sons of Israel, to
eat idol sacrifices and to commit fornication.
Thus you also have those who hold in like
manner the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”
( Rev. 2: 14-15)
The World Invades the Church
It was now no longer a shame but an honor to be a Christian.
The Christian name now secured many and great material
advantages. As a result thousands upon thousands joined the
church. Unfortunately many of these were Christians in name
only. (The Church History, p.27)
 FORMATION OF THE
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Thyatira in Greek means “sacrifice
of perfume,” or, “unceasing
sacrifice.”
The church in Thyatira prefigures
the Roman Catholic Church, which
was fully formed as the apostate
church by the establishment of the
universal papal system in the latter
part of the sixth century.
This apostate church is full of
sacrifices, as demonstrated in her
unceasing mass.
With the death of Constantine, the strife for supremacy
between the State and the Church began. Moreover, the
bishops of Rome boldly out forth the claims to universal
government in the church as successors of Apostle Peter.

When the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, the Popes

seized the opportunity to amass power to themselves.
Gradually the Pope became the most commanding figure
in the West for both the secular and secular realms.
(Introduction to Church History, p.96)
The Roman Empire and the Church came into existence
at about the same time. Now the Empire in the West is
about to fall, while the church continues.
In 410 Rome was sacked by the Goths. For six days and
nights the barbarians ransacked Rome. The Vandals took
Rome in AD 455. Barbarians conquered Italy, North
Africa, Spain, Gaul, and Britain. (The Church History, p.50)
In the fifth century the bishop of Rome, Leo I, considered
himself as the highest authority of the church and became
the first pope.
By the sixth century the papal system was formally
established, and it unified the churches in the West. Thus,
the Roman Catholic Church was formally established, and the
degradation of the church reached its climax.
The Roman Catholic Church flourished for ten centuries,
from the sixth century to the fifteenth or sixteenth century.
(The History and Revelation of the Lord’s Recovery, CWWL, 1981 Vol.2, p.15)
The Heresy of Various Forms of Idolatry
Mary- Worship became so prevalent in the 4th century.
Most of the world religions have goddesses. Christianity is
just about the only religion that does not have a goddess.
Saint-Worship In the early church, saints and martyrs
were much respected by early Christians. In time, they
were greatly venerated and even worshipped. Eventually
prayers to the saints became a normal practice.
Relic- Worship The seal for relics was greatly nourished
by the crusades.
(Introduction to Church History, pp. 104-105)
Other Dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church
Purgatory It is the immediate place where souls are purified
and purged after death. In pagan religions, the belief in
Purgatory is common.
Auricular Confession
Indulgences It usually had reference to sufferings in
Purgatory. It was the practice of the Roman Catholic Church
to impose penance on offenders. But when the penance was
shortened or entirely remitted because of consideration of
money or good works, this is called an indulgence.
(Introduction to Church History, pp. 105-106)
THE CHURCH IS DIVIDED
1054
The Dawn of Reformation
The Middle Ages are considered by historians as Dark Ages.
The Bible was locked away. In the midst of this darkness, God
never left Himself without faithful witnesses. The Roman
Catholic Church persecuted these faithful witnesses as
“heretical.”
 John Wycliffe John Huss
(1330-1384) (1369-1415)

John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English for the common
people to read. He strongly advocated the Bible being open to
the public, because he firmly believed that the Bible is the
unique standard of faith. Because John Huss promoted this
teaching, he was sentenced to death as a martyr.
(History and Revelation, p.15)
“As soon as the coin in the coffer rings
the soul from purgatory springs” – Johann Tetzel
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
- Recovered
justification by faith.
- Used the Bible as
the basis of all the
truths.
The Roman Catholic Church conspired to murder
Luther. The German nobles… gave Luther special
protection so that his life was preserved.
Germany began the establishment of the state
church was wrong, but… because he needed the
protection of Germany. After this, England, Denmark,
and Sweden followed in succession and established
state churches. (History and Revelation, pp.15-16)
The Denominations
The Lord raised up groups of people who loved the truth.
These believers found many truths in the Bible and are
willing to rise up to practice these truths. They refused to
be dominated by the Roman Catholic Church or controlled
by a state church. Thus, in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries many free groups formed so-called independent
churches… such as the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian
Church, and the Methodist Church. (History and Revelation, p.16)
 Martin Luther Philip
1483-1546 Melanchthon
1497-1560

- Recovered justification by faith - Became a close associate of

and an open Bible Martin Luther
- “I have so much business I - He worked closely with Luther
cannot get on without spending during the reformation,
3 hours daily in prayer contributing to the work through
his writings
 Kaspar von
Ulrich Zwingli
Schwenckfeld
1484-1531
1489-1561

- He declared the truth that - He could not accept Luther’s

salvation is an organic process doctrine of consubstantiation,
and that the crucified, the view that Christ is literally
resurrected, and glorified God- present in the bread and wine.
man is a life-giving Spirit. - He maintained that all religious
- He affirmed the universal observances not found in the
priesthood of all believers. Bible should be abolished.
At the conference at Marburg, Luther and Zwingli failed to come
to agreement in their ideas concerning the Lord’s Supper.
 Jacques Guillaume
Lefevre Farel
1455-1536 1484-1565

- He translated the New Testament - He said, “Now my heart is

and Psalms into French. entirely withdrawn from the
- “It is God alone, who by His Pope, and given to Jesus Christ.”
grace through faith, justifies unto - He experienced salvation by faith
everlasting life. in the Son of God and the
- He was the main figure in the sufficiency of His redemptive
Reformation in France. work.
 John Calvin
1509-1564

- In 1536, He published his first

edition of The Institutes of the
Christian Religion. This was the
first systematic exposition of
Reformed teaching.
 William John Knox
Tyndale c. 1514-1572
c.1494-1536

- He translated the Bible from - Under his leadership, the

Greek and Hebrew into English. influence of the Roman Catholic
- He was strangled and burned at Church in Scotland was reduced,
stake in Brussels in 1536. and a Presbyterian form of
- About 90% of his words of church government was
translation in the New Testament established in Scotland.
passed into the KJV. (Introduction to Church History, pp. 120-145
 The Church in Sardis –
The Church in Reformation
“And to the messenger of the church in Sardis write: These
things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the
seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name that
you are living, and yet you are dead.
Become watchful and establish the things which remain,
which were about to die; for I have found none of your
works completed before My God.”
(Revelation 3: 1-2)
THE ANABAPTISTS
- The Anabaptists arose in Zurich, Switzerland, in about
1522, among them were Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz.
- They taught that man should be baptized only after
knowing the truth of justification by faith.
- They recovered the fellowship with the Lord in the spirit
against frustrations of religious formalities and worldliness.
- They objected strongly to, in contrast to Luther and Zwingli,
state churches.
- They asked for the removal of pictures and images from
church buildings. ( Introduction to Church History, p.149)
THE PURITANS
and
THE QUAKERS
The Puritans
After Elizabeth ascended to the throne of England in 1558,
many under the Calvinistic influence felt that the
Reformation in England had not gone enough. They
actively sought to purify the church. This led to their being
nicknamed Puritans after about 1560.
To Thee I owe my wealth, and friends,
And health, and safe abode;
Thanks to Thy name for meaner things,
But they are not my God,
But they are not my God.
George Fox and the Quakers
- The importance of following the divine light.
- The rights of women to speak in meetings,
and tell what the Lord did for them.
- They practiced preaching without fee or
reward.
THE MYSTICS
The reaction to the deadness of the reformed churches
was among the mystics who were still in the Catholic
Church. They did not care for the outward practices or
teachings but only for the reality of the inner life. These
saints, who were known as the mystics, were the start of
the recovery of the living reality of the inner life.
Their experience of Christ as the inner life began as a
reaction to the emptiness of the reformed churches.
However, the mystics, whom the Lord used for the
recovery of the inner life, also made some mistakes
because they did not see the Body, the church.
The Mystics
Throughout the centuries those who loved the Lord
would not go along with worldly Christianity. They
desired to keep the Lord’s word as much as they could.
They desired to live with a pure conscience and
worship God according to what they saw from the
Scriptures.
But I have to stress again and again that they were not
clear about God’s corporate goal. This is why the Lord’s
coming has been delayed even to this day. Regardless
of how many groups of Christians there are on this
earth, as long as there is no proper church life, the
Lord does not yet have His goal.
- Witness Lee
Throughout all the centuries, there have been so-
called puritans who always reacted to the impurities
and negative things brought into the church. All the
puritans were good in their intention to get into God’s
reaction to the degradation of the church, but because
they were not so clear about the church as God’s
eternal goal, they made some serious mistakes. The
biggest mistake made by them was that their reaction
issued in more division.
- Witness Lee
I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades
shall not prevail against it.
– Matt. 16:18
THE MORAVIAN BRETHREN
 THE RECOVERY OF THE INITIAL STAGE
OF THE CHURCH LIFE
IN THE ONENESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
WITH ZINZENDORF AND THE MORAVIAN BRETHREN
In the 18th century the Lord moved among the Moravian
brethren under the leadership of Count Zinzendorf to
recover something of the practice of the church life.

These Moravian brethren suffered the persecution not only

of the Roman Catholic Church but also of the state churches.
They were persecuted because they stood for the truth, and
they fled to Zinzendorf’s estate for refuge.
Count Zinzendorf received many of these seekers who
came from different backgrounds. These brothers began
to disagree over their doctrinal differences.
One day Zinzendorf called a conference, and he
convinced them to drop their doctrinal disagreements.
They signed an agreement to keep the oneness among
them and to lay aside their differences in doctrine and in
their religious backgrounds.
Afterwards, while they were having the Lord’s table, they
experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Among
them there was the strongest revival in church history up
to that time, and they became one of the most prevailing
Christian groups on earth.
 The Church in Philadelphia --
The Church in Recovery
And to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write:
These things says the Holy One, the true One, the One who
has the key of David, the One who opens and no one will
shut, and shuts and no one opens:
I know your works; behold, I have put before you an opened
door which no one can shut, because you have a little power
and have kept My word and have not denied My name.
(Revelation 3:7-8)
- Impressed by the
Moravians aboard the ship to
America in October, 1735.
- John and Charles received
their assurance of salvation
in 1738.
- John is a remarkable
preacher; Charles wrote
some 7,270 hymns and
poems.
George Whitefield
(1714-1770)
- His preaching was more
eloquent, dramatic and
powerful than John
Wesley.
- Whenever he preached
the gospel or ministered
God’s Word, he prayed for
a long time beforehand
over what he would say.
THE BRITISH BRETHREN
 THE RECOVERED CHURCH LIFE
WITH THE BRETHREN
In the nineteenth century, from 1825 to 1828, the Lord
raised up the so-called Brethren under the leadership of
John Nelson Darby. D. M. Panton said that the movement
of the Brethren and its significance was far greater than
that of the Reformation.
 C. H.
George Müller
Mackintosh
(1805-1898
(1820-1896)

G. H. Pember
Andrew Miller
(1837-1910)
(1810-1883)
Martin Luther’s Reformation released the locked-up
Bible, but he did not interpret the Bible... Only when the
Brethren were raised up was the Bible interpreted. They
interpreted most of the prophesies and types.
Regrettably, their own unprecedented understanding of
the Bible issued in their paying too much attention to
doctrine, which resulted in arguments.

After ninety years, the Brethren were divided into over

one hundred fifty assemblies. Today there are over one
thousand Brethren assemblies.
 The Church in Laodicea --
The Church in Degradation
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish
that you were cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am
about to spew you out of My mouth.
Because you say, I am wealthy and have become rich and
have need of nothing, and do not know that you
are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…
(Revelation 3:15-17)
THE EVANGELICALS
The Evangelicals
In the eighteenth century, the Moravians sent out many
missionaries, and the Methodists brought in the
Evangelical Revival. The combined impact of both leads us
now to the Evangelicals in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
 David
William Carey
Livingstone
1761-1834
(1813-1873)

Robert
Hudson Taylor
Morrison
(1832-1905)
1782-1834
Charles Finney C. H. Spurgeon
(1792-1875) (1834-1892)

D. L. Moody
A. B. Simpson
(1837-1899)
(1843-1919)
THE PENTECOSTALS
In 1900 or 1901, Charles F.
Parham began to help his
students in Spirit Baptism in
Kansan, and in Texas.

One of his follower, William

J. Seymour, a black brother,
brought the teaching of
Pentecostalism to Los
Angeles in 1906 where he
founded the Apostolic Faith
Gospel Mission at 312 Azusa
Street. This ushered in
modern Pentecostalism.
THE INNER LIFE MOVEMENT
 Hannah
Whitall Smith
(1832-1911) Andrew
The Christian’s Murray
Secret of a
(1828-1917)
Happy Life

Jessie
Evan Roberts
Penn-Lewis
(1878-1951)
(1861-1927)
T. Austin-Sparks (1888-1971)
Throughout the centuries those who loved the Lord
would not go along with worldly Christianity. They
desired to keep the Lord’s word as much as they could.
They desired to live with a pure conscience and
worship God according to what they saw from the
Scriptures.
But I have to stress again and again that they were not
clear about God’s corporate goal. This is why the Lord’s
coming has been delayed even to this day. Regardless
of how many groups of Christians there are on this
earth, as long as there is no proper church life, the
Lord does not yet have His goal.
- Witness Lee
Throughout all the centuries, there have been so-
called puritans who always reacted to the impurities
and negative things brought into the church. All the
puritans were good in their intention to get into God’s
reaction to the degradation of the church, but because
they were not so clear about the church as God’s
eternal goal, they made some serious mistakes. The
biggest mistake made by them was that their reaction
issued in more division.
- Witness Lee
THE LORD STARTING SOMETHING NEW
ON VIRGIN SOIL
 THE LORD STARTING SOMETHING NEW
ON VIRGIN SOIL

One hundred years after the British Brethren were raised

up, the Lord was forced to come to the Gentile land of
China because He had no way in the confused situation in
Europe and America.
 THE LORD STARTING SOMETHING NEW
ON VIRGIN SOIL

Brother Nee said, “By the time the Lord raised us up, the
Western World was spoiled as far as the proper church life
was concerned. In both Europe and America, the Catholic
Church, the state churches, and the private churches have
caused much confusion. After the Brethren emerged, they
declared that there is only one Body of Christ... but they
eventually divided more than any other group.
Therefore… the Lord was forced to go to China, a virgin soil.
(History and Revelation, p.20)
A word of testimony of Witness Lee concerning
Watchman Nee:
“In my entire life, I have never met a Christian who
can compare with Brother Nee. I received the greatest and
the highest help from him. He picked up good and helpful
things from nearly every denomination, from every kind of
Christian practice, and from all the seeking saints
throughout the history of the church, and he passed them
on to us. The first time I stayed with him, I realized that he
was standing on the shoulders of many who had gone
before him.”
 “When people came into our midst in the early days of
the church life in China, they would wonder whether we were
a Baptist church, a Presbyterian church, a Pentecostal church,
or a Brethren church. This was because all the good aspects of
the truth in these groups were among us. We baptized people
as the Baptists did. We had the church government as the
Presbyterians did. We experienced the outpouring of the Spirit,
which the Pentecostals stressed. We also had the truths that
the Brethren had released. We collected many good things
that the Lord had recovered through all the saints, and we put
them together in our church life.”
These missionaries brought
with them three treasures:
the Lord's name, which is
the Lord Himself, the gospel,
and the Bible. We thank the
Lord for this! However, the
gospel was not adequately
presented to the educated
Chinese class, and the truth
concerning life and the
church was not effectually
released until the first
decade of the twentieth
century.
 RAISING UP A UNIQUE GIFT TO THE AGE
THE LORD'S MOVE TO CHINA
After the defeat of Spain many Protestant missions under God's
sovereign grace were raised up both in Europe and in America
to send hundreds of missionaries to heathen countries. More
missionaries were sent to China than to any other country.
Many of these missionaries, especially the pioneers, were men
of God. They sacrificed much for the Lord's commission and
suffered a great deal for the gospel. Through their pioneering
work, many doors in China were opened and thousands of
people were led to the Lord.
THE BOXER REBELLION, 1900
In 1900 Satan instigated the Boxer Rebellion. Many
missionaries and a great number of Chinese believers were
martyred.
But under God's sovereignty this persecution aroused a
great burden among the saints in the Western world to
pray desperately for the Lord's move in China.
We believe it was through the Lord's answer to those
desperate prayers that some prevailing evangelists among
the Chinese believers were raised up after the Boxer
Rebellion.
These "native" preachers became prevailing in gospel
preaching, and their preaching reached the students of
China's new generation.
Around the year 1920 the gospel penetrated many schools,
and a good number of high school and college students
were captured by the Lord throughout the country from the
far north to the far south. A number of brilliant ones were
called and equipped by the Lord to do His work.
 Dora Yu was saved at a young age.
Later, her family sent her to
England to study medicine. When
her ship reached Marsailles,
France, she told the captain that
she had no desire to study
medicine but had the desire to
return to China to preach the
gospel. She returned to China. She
preached the gospel and
supported herself. The more she
Dora Yu preached, the stronger she
(1873-1931) became. (History and Revelation, p. 26)
 Desiring that she could receive a modern
education, her parents sent her to a
Christian girls' high school in Hangzhou. It
was there that she ...believed in the Lord
Jesus. Before she was saved, her father had
engaged her to a young man of a well-to-do
family, a recently returned student from
Germany with a very promising future. In
answering the Lord's call to give her life for
the preaching of His gospel, she was
desperate to terminate her engagement.
After finishing her studies in the Nanking
Dora Yu Girls' Seminary, she began her evangelistic
(1899- work. (Watchman Nee- A Seer, ch.14)
Miss Lee was originally a teacher, and
she had high attainments in Chinese
literature. She had literary talent, and
she was also clear concerning the
truth.
In the years 1950 to 1952, Watchman
Nee was desperately burdened to
speed up the publication of messages
from his 1948 and 1949 trainings. In
this task Ruth Lee was of immeasurable
assistance to him. Through her help,
most of those messages were
published in book form.
(History and Revelation, p. 30; W Nee- A Seer, p.)
 In February of 1920 Dora Yu was invited
to Fuzhou where she preached the
gospel in the Methodist auditorium. Her
preaching was so convincing and full of
power that following every meeting
rows of tears could be seen on the floor
from the weeping of the audience.
Many were saved. Among the converts
was Watchman Nee's mother. She and
her husband were Methodists but
without the experience of salvation.
After being saved, she returned home
Watchman Nee
and made a thorough confession to her
(1903 – 1972)
husband and children.
 Her oldest son, Shu-tsu, was greatly
surprised and inspired by her
confession. He felt that he must go to
Dora Yu's meeting and see what it was
that had brought about such a change
in his mother. The next day he went,
and the Lord caught him.
After being saved, Watchman Nee had a
strong desire to serve the Lord.
Watchman Nee (Watchman Nee – A Seer, chapter 2, 3)
(1903 – 1972)
 Witness Lee was born in 1905.
Although Lee attended Southern Baptist
services and Sunday school in his youth,
he was never converted nor baptized by
them.
One of his older sister was the first in
their family to be saved. After her
salvation, she began to pray for him and
committed him to a Chinese pastor who
encouraged him to attend his Sunday
Witness Lee morning services at the Chinese
(1905 - 1997) Independent Church.
 In April 1925, after he was baptized by
sprinkling, he attended the gospel
meeting of Peace Wang, who was then
twenty-five years old. That day she
spoke of how Satan occupies man just
as Pharaoh occupied the Israelites
before their exodus from Egypt.
Captivated by her words, he received
the Lord and was saved. He prayed, “I
do not want the world. I just want to
believe in Jesus.” He told the Lord that
Witness Lee he was even willing to be a poor
(1905 - 1997) preacher. (History and Revelation, pp. 36-37)