以西結書1:26-28

 

1:26 在他們頭以上的穹蒼之上有寶座的形像，彷彿藍寶石；在寶座形像以上有彷彿人的形狀。

1:27 我見從他腰以上有彷彿光耀的精金，周圍都有火的形狀，又見從他腰以下有彷彿火的形狀，周圍也有光輝。

1:28 下雨的日子，雲中虹的形狀怎樣，周圍光輝的形狀也是怎樣。這就是耶和華榮耀的形像。我一看見就俯伏在地，又聽見一位說話的聲音。

 

26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

 

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    先知以西結在此述說自己與上帝相遇的紀錄，這種現象稱為「神顯經驗」（theophany）。這是聖經神學中一個重要主題，指的是上帝以可感知、具象的方式顯現給人類的經驗，通常帶有強烈的敬畏、震懾與啟示性的特質。

    「Theophany」源自希臘文 theos（上帝）和 phaino（顯現），意思是「上帝的顯現」。在聖經中，這通常描述的是上帝以非日常方式顯明祂的同在，形式可能包括：

1.      火焰（如摩西在焚而不毀的荊棘中遇見上帝，出埃及記3章）

2.      旋風或雷霆（如上帝在旋風中對約伯說話，約伯記38:1）

3.      榮光顯現（如以賽亞異象中的撒拉弗遮臉、榮光震動聖殿，賽6:1-5）

4.      人形顯現（如創世記18章上帝以人形向亞伯拉罕顯現）

    神顯經驗常帶來強烈的情感反應：恐懼、戰兢、自覺不潔、甚至以為必死（例如士師記13:22，基甸與耶和華使者的對話）。

    加爾文在《基督教要義》中認為，真正的信仰不是建立在人為推理上，而是建立在與上帝的面對面中——即便這樣的相遇會帶來「幾乎要死的懼怕」，這正是因為上帝的真實臨在。

    神顯經驗並非單純為了震懾，而是為了啟示上帝的性情、旨意，並引發人對祂的順服與信靠。就像保羅的見證，他在大馬士革遇見「大光」！

    在我們的生命中，也會因為這樣的經驗而使信仰更堅定呢！

 

 

以西結書1:15-21

  

1:15 我正觀看活物的時候，見活物的臉旁各有一輪在地上。

1:16 輪的形狀和顏色（原文是作法）好像水蒼玉。四輪都是一個樣式，形狀和作法好像輪中套輪。

1:17 輪行走的時候，向四方都能直行，並不掉轉。

1:18 至於輪輞，高而可畏；四個輪輞周圍滿有眼睛。

1:19 活物行走，輪也在旁邊行走；活物從地上升，輪也都上升。

1:20 靈往哪裡去，活物就往那裡去；活物上升，輪也在活物旁邊上升，因為活物的靈在輪中。

1:21 那些行走，這些也行走；那些站住，這些也站住；那些從地上升，輪也在旁邊上升，因為活物的靈在輪中。

 

15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

 

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    舊約所說的「靈」是上帝所賜予、能與祂相連的神性元素，又是人存在最核心且可回歸神的部分。這也反映出希伯來人對靈的理解，不是希臘化的抽象本體論，而是存在性、關係性與啟示性的綜合。

    因此，我們在解經上或神學的論述上，我們不要把「靈」等同於人的靈魂，或是童話故事的精靈之類的靈。雖然新約中稱「鬼」為「邪靈」，但是我們不必要特別強調「靈界」。

    正如這裡說到「活物的靈」，就是上帝賦予活物，使其有生命的現象，好彰顯上帝的榮耀。正如上帝在我們信主之後，就將聖靈賞賜給我們，使我們可以與上帝有連結的關係。

 

約伯記42:6

  

因此我厭惡自己（或譯：我的言語），在塵土和爐灰中懊悔。

 

Therefore I despise myself

    and repent in dust and ashes.

 

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    約伯雖在人看來已經達到「義人」的標準，但是上帝仍然在苦難中熬煉與教導，使他清楚看見上帝的偉大和自己的渺小，還有上帝的聖傑和他的有罪，使得他可以屈服下來，產生真正的「悔改」！

    其實約伯隨時隨地都有遵守宗教的教訓，算是一個守誡命的人；而且在苦難中仍然是遵主為大，當他遇到各樣的災難時，他仍然回答：「我赤身出於母胎，也必赤身歸回；賞賜的是耶和華，收取的也是耶和華。耶和華的名是應當稱頌的。」(約伯記1:21)

    雖然他一直問上帝自己遭難的原因，但是上帝並沒有給他正面的答案，最後仍然屈服下來，真正悔改的原因是什麼呢？就是他認識到：上帝是偉大的，苦難在上帝面前是算不的甚麼，重要的是我們要敬畏上帝，才能在上帝的引導下度過苦難！

    同樣，我們或是我們的弟兄姊妹遇見苦難時，不是要責備他們不敬畏上帝，如同約伯的三個朋友，反倒是要引導弟兄姊妹看見上帝的偉大與聖潔、公義與慈愛，祂的救恩立定就立誓永不改變，苦難是一時的，並非沒有盡頭！

    當我們有這樣的認識，就能勇敢面對苦難，因為上帝永不丟棄我們，祂是信實的，必定保守我們到底的！不要去質問上帝為何讓我們遭遇苦難，而是要相信上帝要帶領我們度過苦難！

歷代志下33:10-13

 

 

33:10 耶和華警戒瑪拿西和他的百姓，他們卻是不聽。
33:11 所以耶和華使亞述王的將帥來攻擊他們，用鐃鉤鉤住瑪拿西，用銅鍊鎖住他，帶到巴比倫去。
33:12 他在急難的時候，就懇求耶和華─他的上帝，且在他列祖的上帝面前極其自卑。
33:13 他祈禱耶和華，耶和華就允准他的祈求，垂聽他的禱告，使他歸回耶路撒冷，仍坐國位。瑪拿西這才知道惟獨耶和華是上帝。

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. ¹² In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

 

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    瑪拿西雖然一開始不聽上帝的警戒，上帝就使亞述王來攻擊他，甚至還被抓到巴比倫。而故事在此也有變化，就是「他在急難的時候，就懇求耶和華─他的上帝，且在他列祖的上帝面前極其自卑。」

    而他自卑後悔改，就向上帝禱告，這一禱告情勢就改變：「耶和華就允准他的祈求，垂聽他的禱告，使他歸回耶路撒冷，仍坐國位。瑪拿西這才知道惟獨耶和華是上帝。」

    也因為這樣，讓我們在一次想到彼得後書3章9節：「主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。」

    可見悔改是何等重要啊！