诗歌：大本769首

Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:15-16; Col. 2:19; Psa. 36:8-9; Rev. 2:7; 21:18-23; 22:1-5

读经：弗四15~16，西二19，诗三六8~9，启二7，二一18~23，二二1~5

　　诗四八1~2　耶和华为大，在我们神的城中，在祂的圣山上，该大受赞美。在北面的锡安山，是大君王的城，居高华美，为全地所喜悦。

　　启二一2　我又看见圣城新耶路撒冷由神那里从天而降，预备好了，就如新妇妆饰整齐，等候丈夫。

　　在旧约里，有耶路撒冷城，以锡安为其中心。……锡安山是耶路撒冷建在其上的群山之一。锡安是中心，耶路撒冷是周围。召会生活是今日的耶路撒冷；在召会生活里必须有一班得胜者，这些得胜者乃是今日的锡安。按照启示录十四章，得胜者是与主一同站在锡安山上（1~5）。按预表说，得胜者事实上就是今日的锡安。……没有锡安（得胜者），耶路撒冷（召会生活）就无法保守并维持。

　　锡安是圣城召会的高峰、中心、高举、加强、丰富和实际。……得胜者是那个地方召会的高峰和中心。他们是那个地方召会的高举、加强、丰富和实际。……得胜者像锡安，乃是召会的高峰、中心和实际（活力排的训练与实行，三五至三六页）。

　　Psa. 48:1-2 Great is Jehovah, and much to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

　　Rev. 21:2 And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

　　In the Old Testament, there was the city of Jerusalem with Zion as the center.... Mount Zion was one of the mountains on which Jerusalem was built. Zion is the center, and Jerusalem is the circumference. The church life is today's Jerusalem; within the church life there must be a group of overcomers, and these overcomers are today's Zion. According to Revelation 14, the overcomers are standing on Mount Zion with the Lord (vv. 1-5). Actually, in typology the overcomers are today's Zion.... Without Zion (the overcomers), Jerusalem (the church life) cannot be kept and maintained.

　　Zion is the high peak, the center, the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, and the reality of the church, the holy city.... [The] overcomers are the peak and the center of [the] local church. They are the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, and the reality of [the] local church....The overcomers as Zion are the highlight, the center, and the reality of the church. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, "The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups," pp. 274-275)

　　得胜者作今日的锡安，乃是为着终极完成圣城（召会）。他们要终极完成地方召会的建造，并带进永世里终极完成的新耶路撒冷（启二一1~2）。为了要完成基督身体的建造，主需要得胜者，而这身体的建造乃是终极完成于新耶路撒冷。所以在圣经的末了，就是在最后一卷书里，有向得胜者的呼召。……在士师记五章十五节底波拉说，“在流便的族系中，有心中定大志的。”我们必须立志作得胜者，就是有活力的人。得胜者要胜过一切顶替基督，或反对基督的事物。在圣经里有得胜者的时代，也有向得胜者的呼召。不仅如此，我们也有路可以有活力，使我们能作得胜者（活力排的训练与实行，三六至三七页）。

　　我们〔的〕目标是要达到锡安，得着今日的锡安，以完成神永远的经纶。……新约末卷书发出作得胜者的呼召（启二7、11、17、26，三5、12、21），这些得胜者将是锡安（十四1）；……在新天新地里，……整个新耶路撒冷要成为锡安，同着所有的信徒作得胜者。在主恢复里的召会生活必须一再往前，直到我们至少有些人（若非全部）达到锡安 （列王纪生命读经，六八至六九页）。

　　耶路撒冷是预表召会的，其中有一座锡安山。……耶路撒冷的保障是在锡安。论合乎神的心意的，就称为锡安。……神从来都是让耶路撒冷被践踏，却保守锡安。耶路撒冷有新的，锡安却没有新的，因为锡安从来不会旧。旧约每次说到锡安和耶路撒冷的关系，都叫我们看见，耶路撒冷的特色、生命、祝福、建立，都是从锡安得着。王上八章一节：长老是在耶路撒冷，约柜是在锡安。诗篇五十一篇十八节：神善待的是锡安，建造的是耶路撒冷。诗篇一百零二篇二十一节：神的名是在锡安，赞美神的话是在耶路撒冷。诗篇一百二十八篇五节：神赐福是从锡安，美福是见于耶路撒冷。诗篇一百三十五篇二十一节：耶和华是住在耶路撒冷，受颂赞是从锡安。以赛亚四十一章二十七节：先对锡安说，后报到耶路撒冷。约珥书三章十七节：神住在锡安，耶路撒冷就成为圣（倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，一二五至一二六页）。

　　参读：关于相调的实行，第二至三、五篇。

　　The overcomers as today's Zion are for the consummation of the holy city (the church). They are to consummate, to finish, the building up of the local church and to bring in the consummated New Jerusalem in eternity (Rev. 21:1-2). In order to complete the building up of the Body, the Lord needs the overcomers, and the building up of the Body consummates in the New Jerusalem. This is why at the end of the Bible, in the last book, there is the calling for the overcomers. In Judges 5:15 Deborah said, "Among the divisions of Reuben / There were great resolutions in heart." We have to make a resolution to be the overcomers, the vitalized ones. An overcomer overcomes anything that replaces Christ or that is against Christ. In the Bible there is the age of the overcomers, and there is the calling for the overcomers. Furthermore, there is a way for us to be vitalized so that we can be the overcomers. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, "The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups," p. 275)

　　Our goal is to reach Zion, to have Zion today, for the fulfillment of God's eternal economy.... The last book of the New Testament sounds out the call to be overcomers (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21), and these overcomers will be Zion (14:1)....In the new heaven and new earth...the entire New Jerusalem will become Zion, with all the believers as overcomers. The church life in the Lord's recovery must go on and on until at least some of us, if not all, reach Zion. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, p. 57)

　　Jerusalem typifies the church. Within Jerusalem, there was Mount Zion....The stronghold of Jerusalem is Zion. Whenever there is something that has to do with God's heart desire, Zion is mentioned....God always allowed Jerusalem to be trodden down, but He always protected Zion. There is a New Jerusalem, but there never will be a new Zion, because Zion can never become old. Every time the Old Testament speaks of the relationship between Zion and Jerusalem, it shows us that the characteristics, the life, the blessing, and the establishment of Jerusalem come from Zion. In 1 Kings 8:1, the elders were in Jerusalem, and the Ark of the Covenant was in Zion. Psalm 51:18 says that God did good to Zion and built the walls of Jerusalem. Psalm 102:21 says that the name of the Lord was in Zion and that His praise was in Jerusalem. Psalm 128:5 says that the Lord blessed out of Zion and that the good was seen in Jerusalem. Psalm 135:21 says that the Lord dwelt at Jerusalem but that the Lord was to be blessed out of Zion.... Joel 3:17 says that when God dwelt in Zion, Jerusalem would be holy. (CWWN, vol. 11, "God's Overcomers," p. 762)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, "The Practical Points concerning Blending," chs. 2-3, 5

　　弗四15~16　唯在爱里持守着真实，我们就得以在一切事上长到祂，就是元首基督里面；本于祂，全身借着每一丰富供应的节，并借着每一部分依其度量而有的功用，得以联络在一起，并结合在一起，便叫身体渐渐长大，以致在爱里把自己建造起来。

　　我们若不要再作小孩子（弗四14），就需要长到基督里面。这就是在一切事上得着基督加增到我们里面，直到我们达到长成的人（13）。……这里的元首〔15〕，指明我们在生命里凭着基督的长大，该是众肢体在元首下，在身体里的长大。……我们在生命里的长大，是长到元首基督里面；但我们在基督身体里的功用，是从元首出来的。首先我们长到元首里面，然后我们就有一些本于（出于）元首为着祂的身体建造的东西（圣经恢复本，弗四15注3，注4、16注1）。

　　主所关切的，是要借着在众召会中所产生，并由全部信徒所构成，基督生机的身体作为前身，而得着新耶路撒冷；这不是物质的，乃是属灵的（雅歌结晶读经，四一页）。

　　Eph. 4:15-16 But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.

　　To be no longer little children (Eph. 4:14), we need to grow up into Christ. This is to have Christ increase in us in all things until we attain to a full-grown man (v. 13). (Eph. 4:15, footnote 3) Head here indicates that our growth in life by the increase of Christ should be the growth of the members in the Body under the Head. (Eph. 4:15, footnote 4) To grow in life is to grow into the Head, Christ, but to operate in the Body of Christ is to operate out from Him. First, we grow up into the Head; then we have something that is out from the Head for the building up of the Body. (Eph. 4:16, footnote 1)

　　The Lord's concern is to gain the New Jerusalem through the precursor of the organic Body of Christ produced in the churches and composed of all the believers, not physically but spiritually. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "Crystallization-study of Song of Songs," pp. 282-283)

　　在〔启示录〕这终极完成里，七个灯台都不见了。在头一章，我们看见七个灯台，但到了末了两章，我们只看见一座城。至终，地方召会都过去了，只有基督的身体要存留到永永远远，基督的这个身体乃是独一的帐幕，作神在这地上的居所，并且是羔羊唯一的新妇（二一2~3）。……所以我们必须注意基督的身体，过于注意地方召会。……我们是人，就有物质的骨架，那是我们的身体。但身体本身只是个骨架，物质的身体里面需要有一个生命。今天召会也是这样。一面，召会的确有一个骨架—身体，但这骨架不是召会的性质、素质或元素。以弗所四章告诉我们，召会是基督的身体，在这召会里面有那灵、主和父（4~6）。父是身体的源头，主是身体的元素，那灵是身体的素质；这四个实体都建造在一起。

　　我们需要看见在这地上有一个东西，其结构是一种生机的构成，称作基督的身体；基督的这个身体，乃是那看不见之神的生机体。……在圣经的末了，只有一个完成，这个完成就是新耶路撒冷。在这终极完成里，我们可以看见神（父、子、灵），以及蒙神救赎的人性。我们可以看到以色列……（启二一12）。我们也可以看到信徒，因为圣城写着十二使徒的名字，代表新约所有的信徒（14）。新耶路撒冷乃是神和人的终极完成。神已经将祂自己构成到我们的人性里，我们的人性也已经被建造到祂的神性里。如今神性和人性乃是联合、联结、调和、相调在一起。

　　基督身体的实际是一种生活，就是所有这些神人借着人性调神性，神性调人性，而与神联结、联合并构成在一起的生活（关于相调的实行，二一至二三、二五页）。

　　圣城新耶路撒冷不是一座物质的城，乃是一个人位。……圣城是个团体的人，这团体的人是一对配偶—经过过程的三一神与经过变化的三部分人成了婚配。这就是那灵和新妇成为一（二二17上）。神性与人性成了婚配，调和成为一体。……圣城作为神的帐幕，是给神居住的（二一2~3），而神和羔羊作为殿，是给我们居住的。神是我们的殿，我们是祂的帐幕。在新天新地里，新耶路撒冷乃是神和人互相的居所，直到永远（在神圣三一里并同神圣三一活着，一六二至一六三页）。

　　参读：成全圣徒与基督身体的建造，第三篇。

　　In [the consummation of the book of Revelation] all the seven lampstands disappear. In the first chapter we see the seven lampstands. But in the last two chapters we see only one city. Eventually, the local churches will be over. Only the Body will remain and remain forever, and this Body of Christ is the unique tabernacle as God's dwelling place on this earth, the unique bride of the Lamb (21:2-3).... Therefore, we must pay much more attention to the Body of Christ than to the local churches.... As a person, we have a physical frame. That is our body. But a body by itself is a carcass. A physical body needs an inner life. Today the church is the same. On the one hand, it does have a frame, a body, but this frame is not the nature, the essence, or the element of the church. Ephesians 4 tells us the church is the Body, and within this church is the Spirit, the Lord, and the Father (vv. 4-6). The Father is the source, the Lord is the element, and the Spirit is the essence of the Body. These four entities are built together.

　　We need to see that there is something on this earth structured as a kind of organic constitution, which is called the Body of Christ, and this Body of Christ is the organism of the unseen God.... At the end of the Bible, there is only one consummation, and this consummation is the New Jerusalem. In this consummation we can see God (the Father, the Son, and the Spirit) and God's redeemed humanity. We can see Israel...(Rev. 21:12). We can see the believers... (v. 14). The New Jerusalem is the consummation of God and man. God has constituted Himself into our humanity, and our humanity also has been constructed into His divinity. Now divinity and humanity are joined, united, mingled, and blended together.

　　The reality of the Body of Christ is a living by all the God-men united, joined, and constituted together with God by mingling humanity with divinity and divinity with humanity. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, "The Practical Points concerning Blending," pp. 117-118, 120)

　　The holy city, the New Jerusalem, is not a material city but a person, ...a corporate person, and this corporate person is a couple—the processed Triune God married to the transformed, tripartite man. This is the Spirit and the bride becoming one (Rev. 22:17a). Divinity and humanity are married together, mingled together, to be one entity.... The holy city as the tabernacle of God is for God to dwell in (21:2-3), and God and the Lamb as the temple are for us to dwell in. God is our temple, and we are His tabernacle. In the new heaven and new earth the New Jerusalem will be a mutual dwelling place for both God and man for eternity. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, "Living in and with the Divine Trinity," p. 388)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1988, vol. 4, "The Perfecting of the Saints and the Building Up of the Body of Christ," ch. 3

　　启十四1　我又观看，看哪，羔羊站在锡安山上，同祂还有十四万四千人，额上都写着祂的名，和祂父的名。

　　　4　……羔羊无论往哪里去，他们都跟随祂。他们是从人间买来的，作初熟的果子归与神和羔羊。

　　新耶路撒冷乃是得胜者的总和。……只有较小部分的信徒是得胜者。……在主来时，祂只把得胜者取去，把其余的信徒留在另一类，因为他们还没有在祂的神圣生命里成熟。……失败的信徒……要在外面的黑暗里受惩罚（太八12，二二13，二五30）。这乃是为使他们得成全，以至成熟。

　　早期的得胜者要得着赏赐。对于在今世得胜的，主要以他们在基督里的所是赏赐他们。……至终，大体的信徒要享受他们在基督里的所是，直到永远。

　　得胜的意思……是说，我们爱主胜于我们的己，胜于我们的魂生命。得胜者只知道基督，只爱基督。

　　新天新地的新耶路撒冷……是旧约和新约，历世历代所有信徒的总和。到那时，所有蒙神拣选和救赎的人，都要成为得胜者（得胜者，五至六、八至九页）。

　　Rev. 14:1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

　　4 ...These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He may go. These were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

　　The New Jerusalem is the totality of the overcomers.... Only a relatively small part of the believers will be the overcomers.... At the Lord's coming, He will take away only the overcomers, leaving the rest of the believers...because they will not have the maturity in His divine life.... [They] will suffer discipline in outer darkness (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). This is so that they can be perfected for their maturity.

　　The earlier overcomers will be rewarded. The Lord will reward the overcomers in this age with what they are in Christ.... Eventually, the majority of the believers will enjoy what they are in Christ for eternity.

　　To overcome...means that we love Him more than our self, more than our soul-life. An overcomer knows and loves only Christ.

　　The New Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth for eternity...will be the totality of all the believers throughout all the generations of the Old Testament and the New Testament. By then all of God's chosen and redeemed people will have been made overcomers. (CWWL, 1991- 1992, vol. 4, "The Overcomers," pp. 182, 184-185)

　　一面，我们已进入神里面；另一面，我们还在进入神的大道上。〔按诗篇八十四篇五节，锡安〕大道在我们心中，意思是我们需要在里面接受召会的路，而不仅是外面的接受（圣经恢复本，诗八四5注1）。

　　在预表基督十字架的铜祭坛这里，我们在神面前的问题借着钉十字架的基督作祭物得了解决。这使我们有资格进入帐幕（帐幕预表基督是成为肉体、可进入的三一神），并在香坛这里接触神。在至圣所前面的金香坛这里，……这位在升天里复活的基督是香，使我们在平安中蒙神悦纳。我们借着在香坛的祷告，进入至圣所，就是我们的灵（来十19），在此经历基督作见证的柜及其内容。我们借着对基督这样的经历，就被合并到帐幕，就是成为肉体的三一神里面，成为团体基督的一部分（林前十二12），作神的见证，使祂得着彰显（诗八四3注1）。

　　基督的十字架，由铜祭坛所预表，是我们的“窝”，我们的避难所，在此我们蒙拯救脱离烦恼，在此我们也得以“菢雏”，即借着传福音，产生初信者。当我们经历在升天里复活的基督（由金香坛所预表），我们就在这样一位基督里蒙神悦纳，并在神的殿中找着房屋，也就是安息之所。这殿是经过过程并终极完成的三一神，与一切祂所救赎、重生并变化之选民的联结、调和与合并（约十四1~23），在今世乃是基督的身体，在永世乃是新耶路撒冷，作神与祂所救赎之人相互的居所（启二一3、22）（诗八四3注3）。

　　主还没有结束这世代的原因，就是祂还在等候……一班得胜者活在祂复活里的身体里，作祂带进祂国度时代的凭借。……在启示录十四章我们看见，得救的人虽然很多，但得胜者只有十四万四千人。愿主怜悯我们，都作今时代的得胜者，好叫主能结束这时代，而带进祂国度的时代（神经纶的总纲与神人该有的生活，四六至四七页）。

　　参读：为着基督身体的一经历神人调和，第四至五篇。

　　On the one hand, we have entered into God; on the other hand, we are still on the highways to enter into God. That the highways are in our heart means that we need to take the way of the church internally, not merely externally. (Psa. 84:5, footnote 1)

　　At the bronze altar, a type of the cross of Christ, our problems before God are solved through the crucified Christ as the sacrifices. This qualifies us to enter into the tabernacle, a type of Christ as the incarnated and enterable Triune God, and to contact God at the incense altar. At the golden altar of incense in front of the Holy of Holies..., the resurrected Christ in His ascension is the incense for us to be accepted by God in peace. Through our prayer at the incense altar we enter into the Holy of Holies— our spirit (Heb. 10:19)— where we experience Christ as the Ark of the Testimony with its contents. Through such an experience of Christ we are incorporated into the tabernacle, the incarnated Triune God, to become a part of the corporate Christ (1 Cor. 12:12) as God's testimony for His manifestation. (Psa. 84:3, footnote 1)

　　The cross of Christ, typified by the bronze altar, is our "nest," our refuge, where we are saved from our troubles and where we "lay" our young, that is, produce new believers through the preaching of the gospel. When we experience the resurrected Christ in His ascension, typified by the golden altar of incense, we are accepted by God in such a Christ and find a home, a place of rest, in the house of God. This house is the processed and consummated Triune God united, mingled, and incorporated with all His redeemed, regenerated, and transformed elect (John 14:1-23) to be the Body of Christ in the present age and the New Jerusalem as the mutual dwelling place of God and His redeemed in eternity (Rev. 21:3, 22). (Psa. 84:3, footnote 3)

　　The reason that the Lord still has not closed this age is that He is still waiting...for a group of overcomers to live in His Body in resurrection to be the means for Him to usher in His kingdom age. In Revelation 14 we see that even though many have been saved, the overcomers number only a hundred and forty-four thousand. May the Lord have mercy on us to make us the overcomers in the present age for Him to close this age and bring in His kingdom age. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, "A General Outline of God's Economy and the Proper Living of a God-man: A Fellowship with the Elders from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia," pp. 524-525)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1963, vol. 1, "Experiencing the Mingling of God with Man for the Oneness of the Body of Christ," chs. 4-5

　　太一23　“看哪，必有童女怀孕生子，人要称祂的名为以马内利。”（以马内利翻出来，就是神与我们同在）。

　　结四八35　……从那日起，这城的名字必称为耶和华的所在。

　　我们必须抓牢这一个原则，神的同在乃是一切问题的准则。……你说这个话，取这个态度，有神的同在么？你这样提议，这样主张，有神的同在么？你若是凡事都摸着神的同在，你就看见，在这里有神作殿，在这里有神的建造。

　　你越讲理由，你就越失去神的同在。请记得，新耶路撒冷城里头的殿乃是神自己，神的同在就是这一座城的中心。所以我们在召会中，必须得着神的同在，必须有神作殿，我们才是被建造的，才有新耶路撒冷城的光景（神的建造，一一九至一二一页）。

　　Matt. 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel" (which is translated, God with us).

　　Ezek. 48:35 ...And the name of the city from that day shall be, Jehovah Is There.

　　We must hold on to this principle: God's presence is the criterion for every matter.... Do we have God's presence while we are saying certain things or taking a certain attitude? Is God's presence in our suggestion or proposal? If we touch the presence of God in all things, we will see that God will be there as the temple, and the building of God will be with us.

　　The more we reason, the more we lose God's presence. Please remember that the temple in the New Jerusalem is God Himself. God's presence is the center of the city. Therefore, in the church we must have the presence of God; we must have God as the temple. Then we will be built up to have the condition of the New Jerusalem. (The Building Work of God, pp. 89-91)

　　召会若被建造，里面就有神的宝座，就有神的掌权。你看见在新耶路撒冷城里面有神的宝座。……因着神的宝座设立在这里，神就能在这里通行祂的权柄。……你若要知道一个召会是不是被建造的，你就要看在他们中间有没有神的宝座，有没有神的主权（神的建造，一二一至一二二页）。

　　林后二章十节提到……保罗在基督的面前饶恕一个弟兄。“面”在原文指眼睛周围的部分，其神色乃是内在思想和感觉的标示，将全人表明并陈明出来。眼睛周围的部分乃是一切内在思想和感觉的标示，表明一个人所想的是什么，里面的感觉如何。保罗在基督的面前，照着祂眼睛所表露祂全人的标示，饶恕那位弟兄。保罗不仅在主面前，也在基督内在感觉和思想的标示下生活。这是如此的深，如此的柔和，如此的细致（一个在灵里之人的自传，三二页）。

　　召会被建造，就有生命的流通和供应。圣经给我们看见，从这个宝座流出一道生命水的河，在河两旁有生命树，结十二样果子，每月都结果子。这就是说，在神的同在和掌权里头，有生命的流通。在这里有生命的活水，能解决人的干渴，使人得着滋润。在这里也有生命树的果子，使饥饿的人得着饱足。

　　召会被建造，……就……有光。在新耶路撒冷城里有光〔启二一23〕。这个光不是天然的光，不是日月的光。这个光就是神自己。在这里神是光，基督是灯（神的建造，一二四、一二六页）。

　　新耶路撒冷将会有一种特别的光—救赎并照耀的神（23）。救赎的神照耀出来，就是照耀的神。神这照明的荣耀，乃是基督里面的光；而救赎的基督是容纳光的灯。

　　并且，新耶路撒冷整座城是透光体，将神圣的光透散到城外的列国（24上）。……今天这扩散神圣之光的透光体乃是基督的身体（新耶路撒冷的解释应用于寻求的信徒，四三页）。

　　〔写诗篇七十三篇的〕诗人因恶人兴旺而困惑，其解答是在神的圣所得着的。首先，神的圣所，祂的居所，是在我们灵里（弗二22）；第二，神的圣所乃是召会（提前三15）。……在我们的灵里并在召会中，我们得着神圣的启示，并得着一切问题的说明（圣经恢复本，诗七三17注1）。

　　参读：神的建造，第七至八篇；新耶路撒冷的解释应用于寻求的信徒，第四至五篇。

　　If the church is built up, it will have the throne of God, the ruling of God. In the New Jerusalem there is the throne of God....Because the throne of God is established, God can exercise His authority. If we want to know whether a certain church is being built up, we need to see whether there is God's throne and God's dominion among them. (The Building Work of God, p. 91)

　　Second Corinthians 2:10 mentions [that] ...Paul forgave a brother in the person of Christ. [The] Greek word [for person] means the face, the part around the eyes, which is the index of all the inward thoughts and feelings to signify the presentation of the whole person. The part of the face around the eyes is the index of all the inward thoughts and feelings, signifying what a person is thinking and how he feels within. Paul forgave that brother in the person of Christ, according to the index of His whole person expressed in His eyes. Paul lived not only in the presence of the Lord but also in the index of the inward feelings and thoughts of Christ. This is so deep, so tender, and so delicate. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, "An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit," p. 158)

　　A builded church has the flow and supply of life. The Scriptures show us that there is a river of water of life proceeding out of the throne, and on both sides of the river there is the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, and yielding its fruits each month (Rev. 22:1-2). This indicates that in God's presence and God's reigning there is the flow of life. Here there is the water of life which quenches people's thirst and causes people to be watered. Here there are also the fruits of the tree of life which enable the hungry people to be satisfied.

　　A builded church has light. In the New Jerusalem there is light (Rev. 21:23). This light is not natural light, neither is it the light of the sun or of the moon; this light is God Himself. God is the light, and Christ is the lamp. (The Building Work of God, pp. 93-95)

　　The New Jerusalem will have a particular kind of light— the redeeming and shining God (Rev. 21:23). The redeeming God shines as the shining God. The illuminating glory of God is the light within Christ, and the redeeming Christ is the lamp containing the light.

　　Also, the entire city of the New Jerusalem is the diffuser, diffusing the divine light over the nations outside the city (v. 24a).... Today this diffuser to spread the divine light is the Body of Christ. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers," pp. 240-241)

　　[In Psalm 73] the solution to the psalmist's perplexity concerning the prosperity of the wicked was obtained in God's sanctuary. First, God's sanctuary, His habitation, is in our spirit (Eph. 2:22) and, second, it is the church (1 Tim. 3:15)....In our spirit and in the church we receive divine revelation and obtain the explanation to all our problems. (Psa. 73:17, footnote 1)

　　Further Reading: The Building Work of God, chs. 7-8; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers," chs. 4-5

　　启二一21　十二个门是十二颗珍珠，每一个门各自是一颗珍珠造的，城内的街道是纯金，好像透明的玻璃。

　　彼后一4　借这荣耀和美德，祂已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们，叫你们既逃离世上从情欲来的败坏，就借着这些应许，得有分于神的性情。

　　新耶路撒冷是由三种宝贵的材料建造成的，表征她是用三一神所建造的。首先，城的本身同城内的街道是纯金的（启二一18、21）。金是神圣别性情的表号，表征父是源头，产生使城实际存在的元素（圣经恢复本，启二一21注1）。

　　〔在新耶路撒冷，〕门是十二个，街道却只有一条。……那条路不是一条直路，乃是一条弯路，好像夏天点的一盘蚊香一样。它头一圈就先经过十二个门，然后再往里转，越转圆圈越小，转到末了，就达到宝座。所以……你无论从哪一个门进来，都是走在这一条街道上。没有一个人会在这里走迷了路。并且这一条街道，到末了总是带你达到中心，达到宝座。……这一条街道是纯金的，……〔指明〕这一座城的里面，充满了神和神的性情，一点没有属土的成分。在这里的街道……只有一条，一点都不复杂。同时它完全是金的，一点都没有掺杂（神的建造，一三九至一四○页）。

　　Rev. 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was, respectively, of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

　　2 Pet. 1:4 Through which He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature...

　　The New Jerusalem is built of three kinds of precious materials, signifying that she is built with the Triune God. First, the city proper, with its street, is of pure gold (Rev. 21:18, 21). Gold, the symbol of the divine nature of God, signifies the Father as the source, from whom the element for the substantial existence of the city is produced. (Rev. 21:21, footnote 1)

　　In the New Jerusalem, although there are twelve gates, there is only one street....The street is not straight but spiraling. In the first circle the street goes around the twelve gates, then as it turns inward, the circles become smaller and smaller until finally it reaches the throne. Thus, ...no matter which gate you enter in, you are on the one street. You can never get lost here. Ultimately, this street will take you to the center, to the throne. The street is pure gold....This indicates that the city is filled with God and the nature of God... [with] absolutely no earthy element. The street is...one—without any complication, and it is pure gold—without any mixture. (The Building Work of God, pp. 104-105)

　　神的性情就是神的所是。……圣经着重且直接地告诉我们，神是灵（约四24），神是爱（约壹四8、16），神是光（一5）。……这三项—灵、爱、光，构成了神的性情。有分于神圣性情的人，就是有分于神是灵、是爱、是光的人。灵是指神身位的性质，爱是指神素质的性质。神乃是带着神圣素质的神圣者。素质比元素更内在。在元素里面有素质，这神圣的素质有爱为其性质。此外，神圣的光乃是神彰显的性质。

　　约翰告诉我们，神圣的出生将一粒神圣的种子带到我们里面（约壹三9），在这粒神圣的种子里面有神的性情。不仅如此，彼得也告诉我们，神已将一切关于生命和敬虔的事赐给我们（彼后一3）。基于这事实，神已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们，叫我们借着这些应许，得有分于并享受神的性情。……当你有分于神的性情时，你就享受神是灵、是爱、是光。

　　〔当我们〕与主交通，……我们领悟并享受主是灵，同时享受神素质的性情，就是爱；于是爱浸透我们，甚至成了我们。在这时间以前，也许我们厌恶许多事情。然而，在这样的交通之后，每一件事都是可爱的了。……这爱不仅充满我们，更浸透我们。我们基督徒所以能爱别人所不能爱的，原因就是我们享受神是爱；我们享受这位爱的神那神圣的性情。……唯有那些有分于神圣性情的人会真正爱人；他们不是受教导要爱别人，乃是他们已成为对别人的爱。

　　我们若在早晨花充分的时间与主同在，我们里面就满了光。……〔然后〕无论我们作什么，说什么，都满了光。这就是我们享受神圣性情的结果。……倘若我们花时间与主交通，我们会觉得我们在享受主是灵，并且我们会成为一个爱的人；爱要浸透我们。不仅如此，无论我们说什么，都是光；无论我们作什么，都透明如水晶。这就是我们有分于神圣性情的凭据或证明（神新约的经纶，三七八至三八○页）。

　　参读：神新约的经纶，第三十篇；新耶路撒冷的解释应用于寻求的信徒，第一篇。

　　The divine nature is what God is....The Bible tells us emphatically and directly that God is Spirit (John 4:24), God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), and God is light (1:5)....The divine nature is a constitution of these three items—Spirit, love, and light. To be a partaker of the divine nature is to be one partaking of God as Spirit, as love, and as light. Spirit denotes the nature of God's person, and love denotes the nature of God's essence. God is a divine being with a divine essence. The essence is more intrinsic than the element of something. Within the element is the essence, and this divine essence has love as its nature.

　　Furthermore, the divine light is the nature of God's expression. John tells us that the divine birth brought a seed into us (1 John 3:9). In this seed is the divine nature. Peter, furthermore, tells us that God has granted to us all things which relate to life (2 Pet. 1:3). Based upon this fact, God gave us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these we might become partakers, enjoyers, of the divine nature.... When you partake of the divine nature, you enjoy God as the Spirit, as love, and as light.

　　[When we] fellowship with the Lord, ...we realize and enjoy the Lord as the Spirit, and simultaneously we enjoy the nature of God's essence, which is love. Love then saturates us and even becomes us. Before this time we may have been disgusted with many things. After this kind of fellowship, however, everything is lovable....This love has not only filled us but saturated us. The reason we Christians can love persons whom others cannot love is because we enjoy God as love. We enjoy the divine nature of this loving God....Only those who partake of the divine nature love people genuinely. They are not taught to love others, but they have become love toward others.

　　If we would spend an adequate amount of time in the morning with the Lord, we would be full of light inwardly.... [Then] whatever we do and whatever we say would be full of light. This is the issue of our enjoying of the divine nature....If we would all spend time to fellowship with the Lord, we would have the sensation that we are enjoying the Lord as the Spirit, and we would become a person of love. Love would saturate us. Furthermore, whatever we would say would be light, and whatever we would do would be transparent as crystal. This is an evidence or proof that we are partaking of the divine nature. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, "God's New Testament Economy," pp. 392-394)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, "God's New Testament Economy," ch. 30; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers," ch. 1

　　启二一21　十二个门是十二颗珍珠，每一个门各自是一颗珍珠造的……。

　　腓三10　使我认识基督、并祂复活的大能、以及同祂受苦的交通，模成祂的死。

　　〔新耶路撒冷〕城的十二个门是珍珠，表征子得胜的死并分赐生命的复活，借此开了城的入口（圣经恢复本，启二一21注1）。

　　当蚌受砂粒所伤时，就分泌生命的汁液包裹砂粒，使砂粒成为宝贵的珍珠。珍珠表征基督两方面分泌的结果，这两方面就是祂救赎并释放生命的死，以及祂分赐生命的复活。……基督的死分泌、分赐以产生城的门。十二个门也是基督在祂分赐生命之复活里分泌的结果（新耶路撒冷的解释应用于寻求的信徒，一四页）。

　　Rev. 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was, respectively, of one pearl...

　　Phil. 3:10 To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

　　The twelve gates of the city are pearls, which signify the Son's overcoming death and life-imparting resurrection, through which entrance to the city is gained. (Rev. 21:21, footnote 1)

　　When an oyster is wounded by a grain of sand, it secretes its life-juice around the grain of sand and makes it into a precious pearl. Pearls signify the issue of Christ's secretion in two aspects: His redeeming and life-releasing death and His life-dispensing resurrection....The death of Christ secretes, dispenses, to produce the gates of the city. The twelve gates are the issue of Christ's secretion also in His life-dispensing resurrection. (CWWL, 1994- 1997, vol. 3, "The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers," p. 218)

　　基督的死和复活都有一个结果，一种分泌。……这两种分泌（分赐），需要寻求的信徒凭基督复活的大能，每天主观的经历基督的死，使他们模成基督的死（腓三10）。我们不仅必须把基督的死本身，更要把祂死的分泌，主观地放在我们日常的经历中。

　　我们在自己里面，凭着自己无法作这事。……每个人都喜欢争论。争论来自我们天然的生命，来自“我”，而不是基督。但我们应当一直把这个“我”钉在十字架上。我们必须把对基督主观之死的应用，放在我们日常的经历中。我们唯有凭基督复活的大能，才能经历祂的死。……不错，我们已经钉了十字架，但我们怎样才能一直保守自己在十字架上？没有人能作到这事，唯有那些认识基督复活大能的人，才有性能、有能力实行这事。我们凭基督复活的大能，就有能力和力量，把我们可怜的己留在十字架上。

　　新耶路撒冷那被变化并建造起来的城墙，主要有四方面的功用。首先，城墙将所有属神之物圣别出来。神不会让任何属祂之物与不属祂之物混在一起，所以需要有分别。新耶路撒冷城墙的功用，就是将新耶路撒冷分别出来，归给神成为圣别。这就是为什么它被称为圣城。

　　第二，……圣城的墙保护神神性之丰富的权益，以及基督终极的成就。

　　城墙的第三个功用乃是彰显神。……启示录二十一章十一节启示，城的荣耀就像碧玉的荣耀。那就是神显出来的样子〔四3〕。今天，那终极完成于新耶路撒冷的基督的身体，其功用乃是彰显基督。

　　墙及其根基的第四个功用，乃是保证神不渝的信实，为着永远的保障。新耶路撒冷立于彩虹颜色的十二层根基上，保证神的信实。

　　我们在受造的光景里乃是尘土，但神要……凭着祂的圣灵，借着更新我们魂的各部分—心思、情感和意志，来变化我们。……魂是天然的人，天然的人是堕落的人，堕落的人乃是神所弃绝的人。我们若要改变自己的身分，就需要变化。我们要得着变化，我们的心思、情感和意志就必须得更新。

　　一天过一天，我们应当过一种生活，不是按着我们天然的观念，乃是按着我们得更新的心思。我们的心思乃是借着神的话而得更新的。唯有神的话能更新我们的心思（新耶路撒冷的解释应用于寻求的信徒，一四至一六、三二至三四页）。

　　参读：新耶路撒冷的解释应用于寻求的信徒，第二至三篇；神的建造，第九至十篇。

　　Both Christ's death and resurrection have an issue, a secretion....Both kinds of secretion (dispensing) require the seeking believers' daily experience of the death of Christ subjectively by the power of Christ's resurrection that they may be conformed to the death of Christ (Phil. 3:10). We have to put not just Christ's death itself but the secretion of His death into our daily experience subjectively.

　　We cannot do this in and by ourselves....Everyone likes to argue. Arguments come from our natural life, from "I," not Christ. But we should have this "I" all the time crucified on the cross. We have to put this application of the subjective death of Christ into our daily experience. We can experience His death only by the power of the resurrection of Christ.... Yes, we have been crucified, but how can we keep ourselves on the cross all the time? No human beings can do it except those who know the power of the resurrection of Christ; they have the capacity, the ability, to practice this. By the power of the resurrection of Christ, we have the ability and the power to keep our pitiful self on the cross.

　　The New Jerusalem's transformed and built-up wall functions in four main ways. First, it sanctifies all the things belonging to God. God would not let any of His things be mixed up with the things that are not of Him, so there is the need of separation. The New Jerusalem's wall functions to separate the New Jerusalem unto God as something holy. This is why it is called the holy city.

　　 Second, ...the wall of the holy city protects the interest of the riches of God's divinity and the attainments of Christ's consummation.

　　The third function of the wall is to express God....Revelation 21:11 reveals that the city's glory is like the glory of jasper. That is God's appearance [4:3]. Today, the function of the Body of Christ, which consummates in the New Jerusalem, is to express Christ.

　　The fourth function of the wall with its foundations is to guarantee God's unfailing faithfulness for eternal security. The New Jerusalem standing upon the twelve layers of its foundations in the colors of the rainbow guarantees God's faithfulness.

　　In our created state we were dust, but...by His Spirit [God] transforms us through the renewing of our mind, emotion, and will....The soul is the natural man, the natural man is the fallen man, and the fallen man is the man abandoned by God. If we want to change our status, we need transformation. In order to be transformed, our mind, emotion, and will must be renewed.

　　Day by day, we should live a life not according to our natural concept but according to our renewed mind. Our mind is renewed by the word of God. Only the word of God can renew our mind. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers," pp. 218-220, 232-234)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem to the Seeking Believers," chs. 2-3; The Building Work of God, chs. 9-10