煉淨的火─啟示錄   

啟示錄是聖經唯一一卷應許我們讀了會蒙福的書；由於新耶路撒冷的經文內容過長，無法一一詳細解說所有意義，讓我們先讀完一遍，然後求主賜下洞見。這不僅是為了瞭解其內容，更是讓我們就定位，進入靠信心而活的偉大靈魂行列中，全然獻上好成為祂所建造的一部份。 

對我說話的，拿著金葦子當尺，要量那城和城門城牆。

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；

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。

牆是碧玉造的；城是精金的，如同明淨的玻璃。

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；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。

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。

我未見城內有殿，因主神─全能者和羔羊為城的殿。

那城內又不用日月光照；因有神的榮耀光照，又有羔羊為城的燈。

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。

城門白晝總不關閉，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(啟示錄 21:15-27)。 

這就是基督的新婦─教會未來的樣式，就像大祭司胸前代表十二支派的寶石，這些寶石是對那些成為這城市『活石』特質的啟示。 

在洪水之後，主應許不再用水滅絕這地。正如我們先前所探討的，這地其實不是被洪水滅絕，而是被人所做的一切。常用來翻譯這地或世界的一些單字，指的不是土地，而是在地上的安排，或人所建造的事物。這些事物不會再次被世界洪水滅絕，但正如我們在彼得後書三章7節所讀到的： 

但現在的天地還是憑著那命存留，直留到不敬虔之人受審判遭沉淪的日子，用火焚燒。  

關於現在的天地被火焚燒所存留的事物，記載在哥林多前書三章10-17節： 

我照神所給我的恩，好像一個聰明的工頭，立好了根基，有別人在上面建造；只是各人要謹慎怎樣在上面建造。因為那已經立好的根基就是耶穌基督，此外沒有人能立別的根基。

若有人用金、銀、寶石、草木，禾稭在這根基上建造，各人的工程必然顯露，因為那日子要將他表明出來，有火發現；這火要試驗各人的工程怎樣。

人在那根基上所建造的工程若存得住，他就要得賞賜。

人的工程若被燒了，他就要受虧損，自己卻要得救；雖然得救，乃像從火裡經過的一樣。

豈不知你們是神的殿，神的靈住在你們裡頭嗎？

若有人毀壞神的殿，神必要毀壞那人；因為神的殿是聖的，這殿就是你們。 

在保羅書信中對哥林多人所提到的金銀寶石指的是教會，正如我們看見新耶路撒冷也是用這些寶石所建造的。接著保羅解釋人的工程如何被火試驗，才能確認所建造的是出於金銀寶石還是草木禾稭。火是為要試驗每一個工程的品質，首先臨到教會，正如彼得前書四章17節告訴我們：『審判要從神的家起首。』先從神的家起首，接著會臨到全地。 

這火不是字面上的火，正如火在聖經預言裡通常是試煉或患難的隱喻，這是在預言如何藉著末世大患難來試驗每個人工程的品質。所以沒有在耶穌這唯一能存留的根基上所建造的，都將被燒盡。 

神的城是用活石所建造，就是那些與祂一起建造之人，而不是試圖不靠祂建造之人。我們在個人生命中所建造的，有多少是與祂建造的，多少不是，在最後都將成為一個終極問題。我們無法不靠祂來管理這世界，我們無法不靠祂來建造任何可以存留的事物，正如傳道書三章14節告訴我們： 

我知道神一切所做的都必永存；無所增添，無所減少。神這樣行，是要人在祂面前存敬畏的心。 

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 44, 2018)

A Cleansing Fire—The Book of Revelation
Week 44, 2018
Rick Joyner

Revelation is the only book in the Bible that we are promised a blessing just for reading. As it would be too lengthy to go into the meaning of all the details about the New Jerusalem described, let us read it and ask The Lord for insight. This is not just to understand it, but to take our place in it as one of the great souls who lived by faith in God and gave all to be a part of what He is building. 

       The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.

       The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal.

       And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according tohuman measurements, which are also angelic measurements.  

       The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

       The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

       the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; 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 one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

       I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

       And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

       The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

       In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;

       and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;

       and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:15-27).   

         This is what the church, the bride of Christ, will be in the age to come. Like the stones on the High Priest’s breastplate that represented the tribes of Israel, these stones are a revelation of the character of those who become a part of this city of “living stones.” 

         After the flood, The Lord promised to never again destroy the earth with water. As we have previously discussed, the earth was not actually destroyed by the flood, but all of the works of man were. The words often translated “earth” or “world” are not implying terra firma, but the arrangement on the earth, or what man built. These will never again be destroyed by a world-wide flood, but as we see in II Peter 3:7: 

“But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 

A revelation of what this fire that the present heavens and earth are being kept for is in I Corinthians 3:10-17:   

       According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

       For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

       Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

       each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

       If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

       If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

       Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

       If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. 

 We have in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians the gold, silver, and precious stones being related to the church, just as we see the New Jerusalem built out of them. Then Paul explains how any man’s work will be tested by fire to be sure he built out of these, or wood, hay, and straw. This fire to test the quality of everyone’s work will come upon the church first, as we are told in I Peter 4:17: “judgment begins with the household of God.” It begins with the household of God, but it will come upon the whole earth. 

This fire is not literal fire. As fire is often used in biblical prophecy as a metaphor for trials or tribulation, this is a prophecy of how the tribulation at the end of the age will test the quality of everyone’s work. All not built upon the only Foundation that will remain, Christ, will be consumed in it. 

The city of God is built out of living stones, those who built with Him instead of trying to build without Him. How much of what we have built in our own lives has been with Him or without Him will be an ultimate question at the end. We cannot run this world without Him, and we cannot build anything that will last without Him. As we are told in Ecclesiastes 3:14:

“I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God hasso worked that men should fear Him.”