可信真實的─啟示錄  

接下來我們來到啟示錄廿一章5-8節： 

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。

祂又對我說：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。

得勝的，必承受這些為業：我要作他的神，他要作我的兒子。

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。 

主在這裡重申祂要將一切都更新，正如祂在這裡說祂是初，祂是終。這也可以被翻為祂是創造萬物的那位，祂也是完成一切的那位。主是那將寫這故事結局的那位，而且一定是很棒的結局！  

即便如此，仍有事情需要做。首先，祂向口渴的人顯現，要他們來到『生命水的泉源』，也就是耶穌。不需要任何代價，因為祂已經付上一切，完全付上─只要來。沒有人配得，或因為他們如此公義、智慧或忠心才得著此生命水。只能白白得著，那是祂的禮物。 

接著祂說到『得勝的將承受這些為業』─祂要作他們的神，他們要作祂的孩子。全都會成為神國度的對象，但只有得勝的才能成為祂的繼承者。 

接著祂列出那些在火湖有分的人，我們絕不想出現在此清單裡。這是最終、永久毀滅的終極懲罰，從膽怯的人開始，他們懼怕人勝過敬畏主，正如貫穿整本聖經對我們的警告。當他們有機會見證主，當如此的見證迫在眉梢，他們卻在乎對人的懼怕勝過對主的懼怕。不認識真理還好過知道了卻不為真理站立。 

當邪惡被擊敗、被徹底毀滅了，注意力轉到世代末了的主要目的─新婦，就是羔羊的妻。 

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（啟示錄21:9）。 

此新婦是主何以創造地球和人類的一個主要原因，祂與祂的新婦合而為一將是祂主要的喜樂，也是全地主要的喜樂。首先的亞當與他妻子住在完美的世界，卻選擇違背神。末後的亞當將會有一個新婦在最黑暗之時行在地上。當所有邪惡的受造物被丟到地上，以最可怕的攻擊來對抗她，她仍選擇順服。為此緣故，連最偉大的天使都將承認，她配得成為他們的審判者。  

在宇宙或永恆裡沒有比成為基督新婦更高的呼召。怎麼可能此不是凡認識祂之人的主要努力呢？怎麼可能有比幫助她『預備好自己』更高的目的呢？ 

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 42, 2018)



The Faithful and True—The Book of Revelation
Week 42, 2018
Rick Joyner 

Next we come to Revelation 21:5-8: 

And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He *said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."

Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." 

         The Lord here reiterates that He is going to make all things new, as He speaks here of being the Beginning and the End. This could also be interpreted as He is the One who created all things, and He will be the One to complete all things. The Lord is the One who will write the end of this story, and it is going to be a great ending! 

Even so, there is still business to take care of. First, He appeals to the thirsty to come to the "spring of the water of life", which is Jesus. There is no cost because He already paid for everything, in full—just come. No one will ever deserve it, or be given it because they are so righteous, wise, or faithful. It can only be received freely. It is His gift. 

Then He speaks to the overcomers who will inherit these things—He will be their God and they will be His own children. All will be subjects of the kingdom, but the overcomers will be His heirs. 

Then He lists all who will have their place in the lake of fire. This is a list that none of us want to make. This is the ultimate punishment that is final and a permanent destruction, and it begins with the cowardly. These are the ones that feared men more than they feared The Lord, as we are warned about throughout the Scriptures. When it was their opportunity to be His witness, and when such a witness was so desperately needed, they heeded their fear of man rather than the fear of The Lord. It will be better to have never known the truth than to have known it, but not stand for it. 

When the evil has been vanquished and utterly destroyed, the attention is given to the main purpose for the last age—the bride, the wife of The Lamb. 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:9). 

This bride has been one of the primary reasons why The Lord created the earth and mankind. His union with His bride will be one of His chief joys, as well as a chief joy of the earth. The first Adam and his bride lived in a perfect world, but chose to disobey. The last Adam will have a bride that will have walked the earth during the darkest of times. When all of the evil in creation has been cast down to the earth and opposes her with the most terrible onslaught, she will still chose to obey. For this reason, even the greatest angelic majesties will acknowledge that she is worthy to be their judges.  

There is no higher calling in the universe or eternity than to be a part of the bride of Christ. How could this fail to be the chief endeavor of all who know Him? How could there be any purpose higher than helping her to “make herself ready.”