晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W40-5)
第四十週.週五
晨興餧養
啟一4~5 『約翰寫信給在亞西亞的七個召會:願恩典與平安,從那今是昔是以後永是的,從祂寶座前的七靈,…歸與你們。…』
四5 『有閃電、聲音、雷轟,從寶座中發出。又有七盞火燈在寶座前點著,這七燈就是神的七靈。』
啟示錄裏所說三一神的次序,和馬太福音裏的次序不同。在馬太二十八章十九節,三一神的次序是:父、子、聖靈。但在啟示錄一章四至五節,次序更改了,神的七靈列在第二位,不在第三位。這啟示神七倍的靈功用加強的重要。二章七節、十一節、十七節、二十九節,三章六節、十三節、二十二節,十四章十三節,二十二章十七節,一再強調那靈的說話,證實這點。新約書信的開頭只題恩典與平安從父和子歸與受信者。但在啟示錄,又加了聖靈,恩典與平安從父和子,也從靈分賜給眾召會。這也表明為著神的行動,極需那靈,以對抗召會的墮落。(啟示錄生命讀經,四六頁。)
信息選讀
為甚麼啟示錄中,靈在神聖三一的次序中佔第二位?因為到了啟示錄,時代…從子轉到靈了。啟示錄是靈的時代,在這個時代,那靈加強了。
一章四節的靈,是神加強的靈,因此稱為七靈。七靈無疑是神的靈,因為四至五節將其列在三一神中。…這裏的七,不是說七個不同的靈,乃是指一個七倍的靈。
『七』是神時代行動中完整的數字,而『十二』是神永遠行政中完整的數字。例如,神創造地的工作,是六天加上安息日。…為著神今日的行動,召會的數字也是七。啟示錄裏的七印、七號、七碗,都是為著神時代的行動。所以,七倍的靈乃是神今日行動中加強的靈。
在本質和存在上,神的靈是一個;在神行動加強的功用和工作上,神的靈是七倍的。就如撒迦利亞四章二節的燈臺,在存在上,是一個燈臺;在功用上,是七盞燈。約翰寫啟示錄時,召會已經墮落,世代又是黑暗的。所以,神在地上的行動和工作,需要神七倍加強的靈。我們知道有一種燈泡,可以調節三種光度。…同樣,燈臺上的七個燈盞,乃是七倍加強的光。在四福音裏,神的靈是一度,因為那時不需要太亮。然而,召會墮落以後,世代也變得極其黑暗,因此需要七倍加強的聖靈。這樣,神的一靈成了七倍的靈。在存在上,聖靈就像撒迦利亞書的燈臺那樣是一個;但在功用上,聖靈卻是七。
神的七靈是羔羊的七眼。(啟五6,亞三9,四10。)眼睛是為著行動;如果我們瞎了,就難以行動。在神今日的行動中,基督為神的羔羊,有七個眼睛。羔羊的七眼是為著鑒察、觀看並傳輸。…你怎麼知道別人愛你?愛能藉著眼睛傳送。…當基督以祂的七眼看著我們的時候,起初可能會叫我們害怕,但到後來,這七眼要把基督的元素傳輸到我們裏面。(啟示錄生命讀經,四七至四八頁。)
參讀:啟示錄生命讀經,第四篇。
WEEK 40 — DAY 5
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.
4:5 And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
In Revelation, the sequence of the Triune God is different from that found in Matthew. In Matthew 28:19 the sequence of the Triune God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But in Revelation 1:4 and 5 the sequence is changed. The seven Spirits of God are listed in the second place instead of the third. This reveals the importance of the intensified function of the sevenfold Spirit of God. This point is confirmed by the repeated emphasis on the Spirit’s speaking in 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 14:13; and 22:17. At the opening of the Epistles, only the Father and the Son are mentioned, from
whom grace and peace are given to the receivers. Here, however, the Spirit is also included, from whom grace and peace are imparted to the churches. This also signifies the crucial need of the Spirit for God’s move to counteract the degradation of the church. (Life-study of Revelation, p. 37)
Today’s Reading
In Revelation the Spirit occupies the second place in the sequence of the Divine Trinity…because in this book the age has been changed from the Son to the Spirit… The age is the age of the Spirit, and in this age the Spirit has been intensified.
Because the Spirit in 1:4 is the intensified Spirit of God, He is called the seven Spirits. The seven Spirits are undoubtedly the Spirit of God because They are ranked among the Triune God in verses 4 and 5…The number seven here does not refer to seven different spirits but to one sevenfold Spirit.
Seven
is the number of completion in God’s dispensational move, whereas
twelve is the number of completion in God’s eternal administration. For
example, God created the earth in six days plus one Sabbath day…For
God’s move today, the church has the number seven. In the book of
Revelation the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls are
all for God’s dispensational move. Thus, the sevenfold Spirit is the
intensified Spirit in God’s move today.
In
substance and existence, God’s Spirit is one; in the intensified
function and work of God’s operation, God’s Spirit is sevenfold. It is
like the lampstand in Zechariah 4:2. In existence it is one lampstand,
but in function it is seven lamps. At the time the book of Revelation
was written, the church had become degraded, and the age had become
dark. Therefore, the sevenfold intensified Spirit of God was needed for
God’s move and work on the earth. We all are familiar with three-way
bulbs, light bulbs that can be switched to three successive degrees of
illumination…In like manner, the seven lamps on the lampstand were the
sevenfold intensified light. In the four Gospels the Spirit of God was
onefold because at that time there was not the need for so much light.
However, after the church had been degraded and the age had become
exceedingly dark, there was the need for the Holy Spirit to be
intensified sevenfold. In this way the one Spirit of God has become the
sevenfold Spirit. In existence the Holy Spirit, like the lampstand in
Zechariah, is one, but in function the Holy Spirit is seven.
The
seven Spirits of God are the seven eyes of the Lamb (Rev. 5:6; Zech.
3:9; 4:10). Our eyes are for our moving. If we are blind, it is very
difficult to move. In God’s move today, Christ as the Lamb of God has
seven eyes. The seven eyes of the Lamb are also for watching, observing,
and transfusing…How can you realize that someone loves you? Love is
transfused through the eyes… When Christ looks at us with His seven
eyes, we may be terrified at first. Eventually, however, these seven
eyes will transfuse Christ’s element into us. (Life-study of Revelation,
pp. 37-39)
Further Reading: Life-study of Revelation, msg. 4
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