来十一10 因为他等候那座有根基的城，其设计者并建筑者乃是神。

　　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。

　　新耶路撒冷乃是由神所设计并建筑的。希伯来十一章十节说到亚伯拉罕：“他等候那座有根基的城，其设计者并建筑者乃是神。”这指明神既是一位巧妙的设计者，又是一位优秀的建筑者。作为这样一位设计者和建筑者，神必然不是设计并建筑一座物质的城。

　　以弗所二章十节启示，召会是神的杰作。杰作，原文意为写成的诗章。诗章表达作者的智慧。借着召会作为神所写成的诗章，神使人得知祂万般的智慧（三10）。新耶路撒冷就是召会的终极完成，充满了智慧。神用祂的智慧设计了新耶路撒冷，这城要展示祂的智慧，直到永远（新约总论第六册，五二○页）。

　　Heb. 11:10 For he eagerly waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.

　　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.

　　The New Jerusalem is designed and constructed by God. Speaking of Abraham, Hebrews 11:10 says, “He eagerly waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.” The Greek word for architect in this verse can also be translated either “builder” or “artificer.” This indicates that God is a skillful designer and a top craftsman. As such an Architect and Builder, God certainly has not designed and built a physical city.

　　Ephesians 2:10 reveals that the church is God’s masterpiece. The Greek word for masterpiece, poiema, means something which has been written or composed as a poem. Poetry expresses the writer’s wisdom. Through the church as a poem written by Him God makes known His multifarious wisdom (Eph. 3:10). The New Jerusalem, as the ultimate consummation of the church, will be full of wisdom. God designed the New Jerusalem with His wisdom, and this city will display His wisdom for eternity. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2029)

　　说新耶路撒冷是一座物质的城，贬低了神的智慧，也藐视了祂这位永远、智慧的设计者。我们若领悟新耶路撒冷乃是预表属灵和神圣的事物，就会开始看见神在这城里的智慧。神是一位智慧的设计者并建筑者，祂设计了这一座城作祂万般智慧的完满彰显。不仅如此，神在祂的智慧里，是借着将祂自己这设计者并建筑者分赐到我们里面，而建筑新耶路撒冷（新约总论第六册，五二○至五二一页）。

　　神的设计启示在以弗所书。……在一章和三章，保罗说到神的经纶，神的经纶乃是神有设计的计划。无疑的，神不会设计一计一座物质的城，神也没有打算要建造一座物质的城。神乃是设计并建造了一个属灵的实体，作祂团体的彰显。

　　活神的城，是旧约圣徒从远处望见，羡慕并等候的（来十一13下、16上、10上）。……〔亚伯拉罕〕像旅客，甚至像放逐者，亡命国外者，寄居在应许之地，羡慕一个更美、属天的家乡（16）。以撒和雅各同样跟随他的脚踪，在地上生活如同客旅和寄居的，等候神所建筑，那座有根基的城。

　　在已过的永远里，三一神定了一个计划；历代以来，祂一直在完成祂的经纶。子借着成为肉体而来，在地上生活三十三年半，死在十字架上，复活，然后升天。自祂升天之后，那灵一直在作许多奇妙的事。神当然不会建造一座物质的城给祂的赎民居住，来作这一切事的总结。新耶路撒冷是一座城，但不是一座物质的城（新约总论第八册，一五三至一五四页）。

　　希伯来十一章十节指明，神是新耶路撒冷的设计者并建筑者。……这城就是活神的城，属天的耶路撒冷（十二22），在上的耶路撒冷（加四26），圣城新耶路撒冷（启二一2，三12），是神为祂子民所预备的（来十一16）；也是神的帐幕，神要在其中与人同住，直到永远（启二一3）。列祖怎样等候这座城，我们也照样寻求她（来十三14）。

　　想想新约里所启示的新耶路撒冷。在神以外，谁能设计这样一座城？唯有神这至高的设计者能设计这城。新耶路撒冷是永远、神圣的设计者所设计的（新约总论第一册，六七至六八页）。

　　参读：新约总论，第六、九、二十九、四十五、一百八十七、一百九十、一百九十三、二百五十六、三百零七、三百三十七、三百四十四篇。

　　To say that the New Jerusalem is a physical city depreciates God’s wisdom and belittles Him as the eternal, wise Architect. If we realize that the New Jerusalem is a sign which signifies spiritual and divine things, we shall begin to see the wisdom of God in this city. God is a wise Designer and Craftsman who designs such a city to be a full manifestation of His multifarious wisdom. Furthermore, in His wisdom God constructs the New Jerusalem by dispensing Himself as the Architect and Builder into our being.

　　God’s design is revealed in the book of Ephesians…. In chapters 1 and 3 Paul speaks of God’s economy, which is God’s plan with a design. Surely, God has not designed a material city, and He has no intention of building a material city. God has designed and built a spiritual entity for His corporate expression.

　　The city of the living God was seen from afar, longed after, and waited for by the Old Testament saints (Heb. 11:13b, 16a, 10a)…. [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise as a pilgrim, even as an exile and an expatriate, longing after a better country, a heavenly one (Heb. 11:16). Isaac and Jacob followed him in the same steps, living on earth as strangers and sojourners and waiting for the God-built city of foundations.

　　In eternity past the Triune God made a plan, and throughout the centuries He has been carrying out His economy. The Son came through incarnation, lived on earth for thirty-three and a half years, died on the cross, was resurrected, and then ascended. Since His ascension, the Spirit has been working out many wonderful things. Surely, as the conclusion of all this, God will not build a material city for His redeemed people to live in. The New Jerusalem is a city, but it is not a physical, material city.

　　Hebrews 11:10 indicates that God is the Architect and the Builder of the New Jerusalem….This is “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22), “the Jerusalem above” (Gal. 4:26), “the holy city, New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:2; 3:12), which God has prepared for His people (Heb. 11:16), and the tabernacle of God in which God will dwell with men for eternity (Rev. 21:3). As the patriarchs waited for this city, so we also seek it (Heb. 13:14).

　　Consider the New Jerusalem as it is revealed in the New Testament. Who other than God is capable of designing such a city? Only God as the supreme Architect is able to design it. The New Jerusalem was designed by the eternal, divine Architect. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2029, 2683, 56)

　　Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 6, 9, 29, 45, 187, 190, 193, 256, 307, 337, 344