啟示錄21:22-27

21:22 我未見城內有殿，因主上帝─全能者和羔羊為城的殿。

21:23 那城內又不用日月光照；因有上帝的榮耀光照，又有羔羊為城的燈。

21:24 列國要在城的光裡行走；地上的君王必將自己的榮耀歸與那城。

21:25 城門白晝總不關閉，在那裡原沒有黑夜。

21:26 人必將列國的榮耀、尊貴歸與那城。

21:27 凡不潔淨的，並那行可憎與虛謊之事的，總不得進那城；只有名字寫在羔羊生命冊上的才得進去。

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,  and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

**********

    這裡讓我們看見：「主上帝─全能者和羔羊為城的殿」；「城內有上帝的榮耀光照，又有羔羊為城的燈」；「地上的君王必將自己的榮耀歸與那城」；「在那裡原沒有黑夜」；「人必將列國的榮耀、尊貴歸與那城；「凡不潔淨的，並那行可憎與虛謊之事的，總不得進那城；只有名字寫在羔羊生命冊上的才得進去」。

    你使否渴慕進入那城呢？趕快信靠主耶穌！因為只有屬於基督的人，才能進入那城！

啟示錄21:15-21

21:15 對我說話的，拿著金葦子當尺，要量那城和城門城牆。

21:16 城是四方的，長寬一樣。天使用葦子量那城，共有四千里，長、寬、高都是一樣；

21:17 又量了城牆，按著人的尺寸，就是天使的尺寸，共有一百四十四肘。

21:18 牆是碧玉造的；城是精金的，如同明淨的玻璃。

21:19 城牆的根基是用各樣寶石修飾的：第一根基是碧玉；第二是藍寶石；第三是綠瑪瑙；第四是綠寶石；

21:20 第五是紅瑪瑙；第六是紅寶石；第七是黃璧璽；第八是水蒼玉；第九是紅璧璽；第十是翡翠；第十一是紫瑪瑙；第十二是紫晶。

21:21 十二個門是十二顆珍珠，每門是一顆珍珠。城內的街道是精金，好像明透的玻璃。

And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.  The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.  He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.  The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,  the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

***********

    上帝的城實在是太榮耀了，我們看了就是要感謝，就是要讚美！因為，這城充滿上帝的榮耀，看了就心滿意足了！

啟示錄21:9-14

21:9 拿著七個金碗、盛滿末後七災的七位天使中，有一位來對我說：「你到這裡來，我要將新婦，就是羔羊的妻，指給你看。」

21:10 我被聖靈感動，天使就帶我到一座高大的山，將那由上帝那裡、從天而降的聖城耶路撒冷指示我。

21:11 城中有上帝的榮耀；城的光輝如同極貴的寶石，好像碧玉，明如水晶。

21:12 有高大的牆，有十二個門，門上有十二位天使，門上又寫著以色列十二個支派的名字。

21:13 東邊有三門，北邊有三門，南邊有三門，西邊有三門。

21:14 城牆有十二根基，根基上有羔羊十二使徒的名字。

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

***********

    在這裡使徒約翰用一個城市，來代表上帝的國降臨，就是聖城耶路撒冷！

    這城在猶太人來說，是君王的城，也是聖殿所在的城，他們要去那裏過節敬拜上帝！所以，那城更是上帝的城，是人與上帝相遇之處。也因此，論道天國的時候，會說到這城。

    在這城更是有十二支派的名和十二使徒為根基，使人感受到教會和以色列在上帝的國中是合一的！所以，新約與舊約也是不分開的，願上帝賜福在每一個閱讀聖經的人！

啟示錄21:5-8

21:5 坐寶座的說：「看哪，我將一切都更新了！」又說：「你要寫上；因這些話是可信的，是真實的。」

21:6 他又對我說：「都成了！我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛；我是初，我是終。我要將生命泉的水白白賜給那口渴的人喝。

21:7 得勝的，必承受這些為業：我要作他的上帝，他要作我的兒子。

21:8 惟有膽怯的、不信的、可憎的、殺人的、淫亂的、行邪術的、拜偶像的，和一切說謊話的，他們的分就在燒著硫磺的火湖裡；這是第二次的死。」

And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

*********

    這是上帝親自透過約翰向我們宣告的：「都成了！我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛；我是初，我是終。我要將生命泉的水白白賜給那口渴的人喝。得勝的，必承受這些為業：我要作他的上帝，他要作我的兒子。」

    是的，今天上帝已經將這「生命泉的水」賜給教會了，就是聖靈！雖然，耶穌基督道成肉身來到世間，只有當時的門徒可以和主耶穌有親密的關係。但是，今日上帝透過聖靈，讓耶穌基督住在我們心中，使我們與耶穌基督可以有親密的關係。不僅如此，還透過聖經讓我們閱讀上帝的話，更藉由傳道人的宣講，讓我們聽見上帝的話！

    透過上帝這樣總總的作為，讓我們這些「口渴的人」成為「得勝的人」，並且領受了「上帝兒女」的身分與權利，並且讓我們承受上帝本身的一切！

啟示錄21:1-4

21:1 我又看見一個新天新地；因為先前的天地已經過去了，海也不再有了。

21:2 我又看見聖城新耶路撒冷由上帝那裡從天而降，預備好了，就如新婦妝飾整齊，等候丈夫。

21:3 我聽見有大聲音從寶座出來說：「看哪，上帝的帳幕在人間。他要與人同住，他們要作他的子民。上帝要親自與他們同在，作他們的上帝。

21:4 上帝要擦去他們一切的眼淚；不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭號、疼痛，因為以前的事都過去了。」

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

***********

    這是一幅多麼美的圖畫，因為上帝與人同住，與人和好！不僅如此，人與人之深淵，就是「海」已經沒有了。也就是說，人和人中間也沒有隔閡了！這就是上帝的國實現，降臨在地上情景。

    這事每一個聖徒心中的禱告：「願你的國降臨；願你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。」

    然而這在地如天的生活已經實現了一些，就是上帝透過耶穌基督拯救我們，建立了教會，教會就是上帝國在地如天的開始。雖然尚未完全，但是教會就是我們體會上帝國的地方。

    也因此，在教會的治理上，我們要清楚，教會的主是耶穌基督，是上帝的家就要照上帝的話語來治理與建立。也因為如此，我們才能知道這幅圖畫是真實與美好的！