晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W38-6)
第三十八週.週六
晨興餧養
太十六18 『…我要把我的召會建造在這磐石上,陰間的門不能勝過她。』
啟二十14 『死亡和陰間也被扔在火湖裏,這火湖就是第二次的死。』
〔在馬太十六章十八節,〕陰間的門乃是指撒但黑暗的權勢或能力。(西一13,徒二六18。)基督要在這關於祂自己啟示的磐石上,並以彼得這樣經過變化的人為石頭,建造真正的召會,這樣的召會是陰間的門不能勝過的。主這話也指明,撒但黑暗的權勢要攻擊召會;因此,召會(神的國)和撒但的權勢(撒但的國),二者之間進行著屬靈的爭戰。
羅馬…聖彼得大教堂…的圓頂上寫著馬太十六章十八節的話:『我要把我的召會建造在這磐石上。』然而,這節的下半:『陰間的門不能勝過她,』沒有寫上去。…然而,主恢復裏的召會的確是建造在關於基督的啟示上,陰間的門不能勝過這召會。(馬太福音生命讀經,六三三頁。)
信息選讀
〔在〕啟示錄二十章十四節,…火湖是整個宇宙的垃圾箱;一切消極的事物,包括死亡和陰間,都要被扔在其中。死亡是主最後所要毀滅的仇敵。(林前十五26。)
墮落的人在第一次的死裏,魂和靈與身體分開,並滅亡於陰間受苦的地方。(路十六22~24。)在第二次的死裏,魂和靈與復活的身體重新聯結,然後與身體一同被扔進火湖裏。這是說,不信者的全人—靈、魂、體—都要在火湖永遠的痛苦裏滅亡。(啟示錄生命讀經,七七五至七七六頁。)
在四福音裏,基督是溫和、和藹、仁慈的。每當祂看人,人就覺得被祂關愛。在約翰福音裏,耶穌曾看著人而哭;祂實在是用祂愛的眼目將人奪取了。(十一35,路二二61。)然而,這同一位基督在啟示錄裏以不同的方式顯現。祂有七眼,如同火焰,(一14,五6,)焚燒並照耀。在四福音中,祂最親密的門徒甚至能側身挨近祂的懷裏。(約十三23。)…然而,在啟示錄裏,當約翰再看見祂時,他懼怕並仆倒在祂腳前,像死了一樣。(一17。)…路加四章二十二節說,祂口中出恩言;但啟示錄告訴我們,從祂口中出來一把兩刃的利劍。(一16,十九15。)不僅如此,在約翰一章二十九節,祂被介紹為神的羔羊;但在啟示錄五章五節,祂被稱為猶大支派的獅子。啟示錄這卷書不是以尋常的方式,乃是以超特的方式向我們揭示基督。…啟示錄雖是延續福音書和書信,但啟示錄啟示基督,不是按照福音書和書信。在啟示錄裏,祂不是一位微小、溫柔、慈愛、忍耐、安靜或受苦的基督;祂乃是勇敢、厲害、豐富、焚燒且活的基督。我們若經歷啟示錄中所揭示的基督,就會在生命裏享受祂的得勝,讚美祂,並因喜樂而呼喊。
我們若思想啟示錄一章中基督的圖畫,就會看見這章陳明一位厲害的基督。祂的眼目如同火焰,祂的腳好像在爐中煆煉過的銅,祂的聲音如同眾水的聲音,並且從祂口中出來一把兩刃的利劍。我們對基督必須有一種新的印象。那位在眾地方召會中間行走的人子基督是活而燒著的,並且是厲害的。祂是有恩惠的,但也是使人懼怕的。…因為日子太黑暗、太邪惡、太死了;我們需要一位厲害的基督。我們若接觸啟示錄中的基督,就不會冷淡,乃會焚燒起來;不會安靜,乃會呼喊讚美祂。(新約總論第十四冊,五二至五四頁。)
參讀:新約總論,第四百零七篇。
WEEK 38 — DAY 6
Morning Nourishment
Matt. 16:18 …Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Rev. 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
In Matthew 16:18 …gates of Hades refers to Satan’s authority or power of darkness (Col. 1:13; Acts 26:18), which cannot prevail against the genuine church built by Christ upon this revelation concerning Him as the rock, with stones such as Peter, a transformed human being. This word of the Lord’s indicates also that Satan’s power of darkness will attack the church. Hence, there is spiritual warfare between Satan’s power, which is his kingdom, and the church, which is God’s kingdom.
On the dome [of Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rome] there [are] written some words from Matthew 16:18: “I will build My church upon this rock.” However, the last part of this verse — “and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”—[is] not written there…The church in the Lord’s recovery, however, is truly built upon the revelation concerning Christ, and against this church the gates of Hades cannot prevail. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 541-542)
Today’s Reading
[In] Revelation 20:14…the lake of fire is the trash can for the entire universe, into which all negative things, including death and Hades, will be cast. Death will be the last enemy destroyed by the Lord (1 Cor. 15:26).
In the first death, the soul and spirit are separated from the body and, in the case of the unbelievers, are kept in the suffering section of Hades (Luke 16:22-24). In the second death, the soul and spirit of the unbelievers, after being
rejoined to their body in resurrection, are cast with their body into
the lake of fire. This means that the unbelievers’ whole being—spirit,
soul, and body—will perish in eternal torment in the lake of fire.
(Life-study of Revelation, pp. 646-647)
In
the four Gospels Christ was mild, gentle, and kind. When He looked at
people, they felt loved. In the Gospel of John, Jesus looked at people
and wept; He truly captured people by His loving look (11:35; Luke
22:61). This same Christ, however, appears differently in the book of
Revelation. He has seven eyes, which are like a flame of fire (1:14;
5:6), burning and shining. In the Gospels His most intimate disciple
could even recline on His bosom (John 13:23)…However, when John saw Him
again in Revelation, he was frightened and fell at His feet as dead
(1:17)…Luke 4:22 says that words of grace proceeded out of His mouth,
but Revelation tells us that a sharp two-edged sword proceeds out of His
mouth (1:16; 19:15). Moreover, in John 1:29 He is introduced as the
Lamb of God, but in Revelation 5:5 He is called the Lion of the tribe of
Judah. The book of Revelation unveils Christ to us not in a common way
but in an extraordinary way…Revelation continues the Gospels and the
Epistles, but it does not reveal Christ according to the Gospels and the
Epistles. In Revelation He is not a small, gentle, kind, patient,
silent, and suffering Christ; He is a bold, fierce, rich, burning, and
living Christ. If we experience the Christ unveiled in Revelation, we
will be in life, enjoy His victory, praise Him, and shout for joy.
If
we consider the picture of Christ in Revelation 1, we will see that
this chapter presents a fierce Christ. His eyes are as a flame of fire;
His feet are like shining bronze, as having been fired in a furnace; His
voice is as the sound of many waters; and out of His mouth proceeds a
sharp two-edged sword. We must have a new impression of Christ. Christ,
the Son of Man, who is walking in the midst of the local churches, is
living, burning, and fierce. He is gracious, yet He is
terrifying…Because the days are so dark, evil, and dead, we need a
fierce Christ. If we contact the Christ in Revelation, we will not be
cold but burning, and we will not be silent but will shout to praise
Him. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4156-4157)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 407
留言
張貼留言