晨興聖言-信徒(一)-(W11-6)
第十一週 • 週六
晨興餧養
啟四3 那位坐着的,顯出來的樣子好像碧玉…。
二一11 …城的光輝如同極貴的寶石,好像碧玉,明如水晶。
18~19 牆是用碧玉造的,城是純金的…。城牆的根基是用各樣寶石裝飾的。第一根基是碧玉…。
現在我們來到新約所說信徒末了、完成、最顯著的象徵—碧玉和其他寶石。…至終所有的信徒都要變化成為寶石。我們天生是泥土,然而從我們得重生的時候起,我們就開始變化。
碧玉表徵神顯出來的樣子,憑神的榮耀作新耶路撒冷的光照耀,以彰顯神。啟示錄四章三節清楚告訴我們,坐在寶座上的神顯出碧玉的樣子。照二十一章十一節看,碧玉乃是『極貴的寶石…明如水晶』。它必是深綠色的,表徵豐盛的生命。這裏的碧玉,就如十一節所指明的,表徵神在祂豐盛生命裏可傳輸的榮耀(約十七22、2)。碧玉是神顯出來的樣子,也是聖城新耶路撒冷顯出來的樣子。城牆和第一根基也是用碧玉造的(啟二一18~19)(新約總論第五冊,二○四至二○五頁)。
信息選讀
既然碧玉是神顯出來的樣子,是祂的彰顯,既然我們要變化成為碧玉,那麼這就是說,我們要成為三一神團體的彰顯。…整座城要有神顯出來的樣子,神的彰顯。這符合約壹三章二節的話:『我們曉得祂若顯現,我們必要像祂;因為我們必要看見祂,正如祂所是的。』神與信徒要有同樣的樣子—碧玉的樣子。這將是創世記一章二十六節終極的應驗,因為這是三一神光輝、團體的彰顯。
在啟示錄二十一章十九至二十節,信徒由碧玉以外其他十一種寶石所象徵。其他寶石表徵基督的榮美在不同方面的豐富,作神永遠居所的根基。基督是神在永世之建造的基石,所有的寶石是基督作根基之豐富的不同方面。
十九至二十節裏寶石的顏色,顯出一道彩虹的樣子。這表徵新耶路撒冷城是建造在神守約的信實上,並藉着神這信實得以穩固(創九8~17)。因為根基建造在神用以守約的信實上,根基就是可信可靠的。所以,新耶路撒冷的根基乃是一道永遠的彩虹擔保神的信實。…神的信實是新耶路撒冷建造在其上的穩固根基(新約總論第五冊,二○五至二○六頁)。
〔啟示錄二十一章十九至二十節〕列出十二樣寶石的名字,這十二樣寶石是羔羊的十二使徒,每位使徒由一樣寶石所表徵。十二使徒的頭一位,彼得,原名西門;當他被帶到主面前時,主將他改名為彼得,意思就是石頭(約一42)。後來,主說到召會的建造時,就以這名稱呼他(太十六18)。…所有的使徒都是受造的泥土,但他們蒙了重生,並且變化成了為着神永遠建造的寶石。每一位元信徒都需要經過這樣的重生和變化,纔能成為新耶路撒冷的一部分。
城牆的第一層根基和新耶路撒冷的整個城牆一樣,都是用碧玉造的。這指明在聖城的建造裏,主要的材料是碧玉。既然碧玉表徵神彰顯在祂可傳輸的榮耀裏,聖城主要的功用也就是帶着神的榮耀彰顯神(啟二一11)(啟示錄生命讀經,八三○頁)。
參讀:新約總論,第一百一十三篇。
WEEK 11 — DAY 6
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 4:3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone…
21:11 …Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.
18-19 And the building work of its wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold…The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone: the first foundation was jasper…
Now we come to the last, consummating, and most striking symbol of the believers in the New Testament—jasper and other precious stones… Eventually all believers will be transformed into precious stones. By nature we are clay. But from the time we were regenerated, we began to be transformed.
Jasper signifies the appearance of God shining with the glory of God as the light of the New Jerusalem for the expression of God. In Revelation 4:3 we are clearly told that God sitting on the throne has the appearance of jasper which, according to 21:11, is “a most precious stone…clear as crystal.” Its color must be dark green, which signifies life in its richness. Jasper here, as 21:11 indicates, signifies God’s communicable glory in His rich life (John 17:22, 2). It is the appearance of God, which will also be the appearance of the New Jerusalem. The city’s wall and first foundation are built with it (Rev. 21:18-19). (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1231)
Todays Reading
Since jasper is God’s appearance, His expression, and since we shall be transformed into jasper, this means that we shall be the corporate expression of the Triune God…The entire city will bear God’s appearance, God’s expression. This corresponds to the word in 1 John 3:2: “We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is.” God and the believers will have the same appearance—the appearance of jasper. This will be the ultimate fulfillment of Genesis 1:26, for this will be the splendid, corporate expression of the Triune God.
In Revelation 21:19 and 20 the believers are symbolized by eleven other precious stones in addition to jasper [that] signify the riches of the beauty of Christ in different aspects for the foundation of God’s eternal dwelling. Christ is the foundation stone of God’s building in eternity, and all the precious stones are different aspects of the riches of Christ as the foundation.
The colors of the precious stones in 21:19 and 20 give the appearance of a rainbow. This signifies that the city of New Jerusalem is built upon and secured by God’s faithfulness in keeping His covenant (Gen. 9:8-17). Because the foundation is built upon the faithfulness with which God keeps His covenant, it is trustworthy and reliable. Therefore, the foundation of the New Jerusalem will be an eternal rainbow guaranteeing the faithfulness of God… The faithfulness of God is the sure foundation upon which the New Jerusalem is built. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1231-1232)
[Revelation 21:19-20 lists] the names of twelve precious stones, which are the twelve apostles of the Lamb, each of whom is signified by a precious stone. Peter, the first of the twelve apostles, was originally named Simon. When Simon was brought to the Lord, the Lord changed his name to Peter, meaning “a stone” (John 1:42). Later, the Lord called him by that name when He spoke concerning the building of His church (Matt. 16:18)…All the apostles were created as clay, but they were regenerated and transformed into precious stones for God’s eternal building. Every believer needs to be thus regenerated and transformed that he may be a part of the New Jerusalem.
The first layer of the wall’s foundation, as well as the entire wall of the New Jerusalem, is built with jasper. This indicates that the main material in the building of the holy city is jasper. Since jasper signifies God expressed in His transmittable glory, the main function of the holy city is to express God in bearing His glory (Rev. 21:11). (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 694-695)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 113
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