Spiritual life is taken in the Holy Scriptures as a heavenly journey. In reviewing Watchman Nee's life, we can easily notice four distinctive stages in his spiritual journey. The first stage covers the years from 1920 to 1928: from his regeneration to his basic training. The second stage covers the years from 1928 to 1942: these were the years of the expansion of the work to his withdrawal from ministering. The third stage were the years from 1943 to 1952: that is from his withdrawal from ministry to his recovery. The final stage was the years from 1952 to 1972: from the final years of imprisonment to his death. All these stages are clearly illustrated by his writings.
