民二四17~19　我看祂，却不在现时；我望祂，却不在近日。必有一星从雅各而出，必有一杖从以色列兴起，……祂必得……仇敌之地……为产业；以色列必行事勇敢。有一位出于雅各的，必掌大权，并除灭城中的余民。

　　民数记是一卷陈述以色列人历史的书，而以色列人的历史乃是召会历史的预表。认真说来，全书只有二十四章十四至二十五节这段话是预言，也就是解经家所称“巴兰的预言”。这预言是说到主再来时所要发生的事，由十四节的“日后”（原文意，末后的日子）所指明（民数记概论下册，第三十五篇—中文尚未出书）。

　　Num. 24:17-19 I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. There shall come forth a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel....His enemies shall also be dispossessed—while Israel does valiantly. And One from Jacob shall have dominion and destroy the remnant from the city.

　　Numbers is a book that presents the history of Israel, and the history of Israel is a type of the history of the church. Strictly speaking, the only portion in Numbers that is a prophecy is the portion in 24:14-25, which Bible expositors call "Balaam's prophecy." This prophecy speaks of the things that will happen at the Lord's second coming, as indicated by the phrase in the last days in verse 14. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," p. 385)

　　民数记二十四章十七节……的星和杖都是指基督。……星有几方面的含意：第一，星是在黑夜里出现；第二，星是属天的；第三，星是明亮的。圣经说到主耶稣两次的显现时，都说到祂是星。祂第一次显现是在祂出生时，外邦的星象家在东方看见祂的星。他们来到耶路撒冷，问说，“那生为犹太人之王的在哪里？因为祂的星出现的时候，我们看见了，就前来拜祂。”（太二2）主的第二次显现是在祂再来时。在启示录二章主对在推雅推喇召会的得胜者说，“我又要把晨星赐给他。”（28）在二十二章主又说，“我是明亮的晨星。”（16）这两处经文都说到主第二次来时，乃是晨星。

　　在今世，就是〔主〕两次的显现之间，祂也要在属祂的人心里如同晨星出现（彼后一19）。每一个得救的人都有基督作为星在他里面出现。祂向我们第一次显现，是作我们的救主，祂也要在我们里面一再出现，直到祂在荣耀里的第二次显现。今天祂在我们里面作为晨星出现，是指向祂的再来。

　　民数记二十四章十七节的杖是指基督的掌权。有杖的人就是在宝座上有权柄的人。譬如，诗篇二篇九节论到基督说，“你必用铁杖打破他们；你必将他们如同窑匠的瓦器摔碎。”四十五篇六节说，“神啊，你的宝座是永永远远的；你国的权杖是正直的权杖。”一百一十篇二节说，“耶和华必从锡安伸出你能力的杖来：你要在你的仇敌中间掌权。”创世记四十九章十节说，“权杖必不离犹大，王杖必不离他两脚之间，直到细罗来到，万民都必归顺。”……这些经文给我们看见，杖是指基督在宝座上，得着王权执行祂国度的权柄。我们若将基督作为星和杖的经文合起来看，就看见主再来时，祂要在宝座上，在祂的国度里施行祂的权柄。

　　巴兰的预言指明今世完全是黑暗的；是由黑暗掌权、不服神权柄的世代。然而，星和杖要从雅各而出，从以色列兴起。基督是明亮的晨星，要照亮这黑暗的世界；基督是权柄，要从以色列兴起，管治这不法的地。今天这地是黑暗的，没有光的照耀；也是混乱的，没有权柄。主耶稣再来时，要如星显现，作宇宙之光，也要如杖显现，作宇宙的权柄。

　　民数记里以色列人的历史表征召会的历史。在这些历史的末了，基督作为星和杖就要显现。祂要来照耀万民并治理全地。那时摩押人、亚玛力人和地上一切扰害神子民的情形，都要被除去，神的子民将不再受苦（民数记概论下册，第三十五篇—中文尚未出书）。

　　[In Numbers 24:17] Star and Scepter both refer to Christ....The star has several denotations: first, it appears in the night; second, it is heavenly; and third, it is bright. In speaking of the Lord Jesus' two appearings, the Bible refers to Him as a star. His first appearing was at His birth. The pagan magi saw His star from the east. They came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star at its rising and have come to worship Him" (Matt. 2:2). The Lord's second appearing will be at His second coming. In Revelation 2 the Lord said to the overcomers of the church in Thyatira, "I will give the morning star" (v. 28), and in chapter 22 the Lord said again, "I am...the bright morning star" (v. 16). Both of these portions speak of the Lord as the morning star at His second coming.

　　In this age, between His two appearings, He also rises as the morning star in the hearts of those who belong to Him (2 Pet. 1:19). Every saved one has Christ as the star rising in him. He appeared to us the first time as our Savior, and He will rise in us again and again until His second appearing in glory. His rising in us today as the morning star points to His second coming.

　　The scepter in Numbers 24:17 refers to Christ's ruling. The one who has the scepter is the one who is on the throne and has authority. For example, Psalm 2:9 says concerning Christ, "You will break them with an iron rod; / You will shatter them like a potter's vessel." Psalm 45:6 says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; / The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom." Psalm 110:2 says, "Jehovah will send forth / The scepter of Your strength from Zion: / Rule in the midst of Your enemies." Genesis 49:10 says, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, / Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, / Until Shiloh comes, / And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples."...These verses show that the scepter refers to Christ's being on the throne and obtaining the kingship to exercise His authority of the kingdom. If we put the verses concerning the star together with the verses concerning the scepter, we will see that at the Lord's second coming, He will exercise His authority on the throne and in His kingdom.

　　Balaam's prophecy indicates that the present age is altogether dark; it is an age that is ruled by darkness and that does not submit to God's authority. Nevertheless, the Star and the Scepter came forth out of Jacob and will rise out of Israel. Christ is the bright morning star to illuminate this dark world, and Christ as the scepter will rise out of Israel to rule over this lawless earth. Today this earth is dark, without the shining of light; it is also chaotic, without authority. When the Lord Jesus comes, He will appear as the star to be the light of the universe, and He will also appear as the scepter to be the authority of the universe.

　　The history of Israel in the book of Numbers signifies the history of the church. At the end of these histories, Christ will appear as the Star and the Scepter. He will come to shine on all the peoples and to rule the whole earth. At that time the Moabites, the Amalekites, and everything on earth that harasses God's people will be removed, and God's people will no longer suffer. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," pp. 385-387, 389)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1960, vol. 1, "Synopsis of Numbers," ch. 35