王下二8　 以利亚将自己的外衣卷起来击打河水，水就左右分开，二人走干地而过。

　　14　 〔以利沙〕拿着以利亚身上掉下来的外衣击打河水，……击打河水之后，水也左右分开，以利沙就过去了。

　　约但河是新约之浸开始的地方，表征死（太三5~6与6注2）。为要过约但河，以利亚用自己的外衣击打河水，他的外衣预表浇灌的灵，能力的灵（王下二8）。能力的灵对付死河，好为以利亚和以利沙开路，让他们过河。这一切乃是表征，我们要经历从旧约时代转换到新约时代，就必须对付我们的肉体（加五24），舍弃世界转向神（约壹二15~17），击败撒但（启十二11），并经过死（罗六3~4，加二20）（圣经恢复本，王下二1注1）。

　　2 Kings 2:8 And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and struck the water; and it parted to this side and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

　　14 ...[Elisha] took Elijah’s mantle, which had fallen from him... When he...struck the water, it parted to this side and that, and Elisha crossed over.

　　The river Jordan, where the New Testament baptism began, signifies death (Matt. 3:5-6 and footnote 2 on v. 6). To cross the river Jordan, Elijah struck the water with his mantle, which typifies the outpoured Spirit, the Spirit of power (2 Kings 2:8). The Spirit of power dealt with the river of death so that the way was opened for Elijah and Elisha to cross over. All this signifies that in order for the age to be changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament in our experience, we must deal with our flesh (Gal. 5:24), give up the world and turn to God (1 John 2:15-17), defeat Satan (Rev. 12:11), and pass through death (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 2:20). (2 Kings 2:1, footnote 1)

　　约但河，是指着死的能力。过约但河，就是胜过死。这就是被提。

　　主是在约但河里受浸的。主受浸是表明死；从水里上来，是表明复活。主是借着复活的能力而胜过死亡。撒但顶大的能力是死，主好像是对仇敌说，“尽你所能地作在我的身上吧！”（来二14）撒但作尽了他所能作的。但是，神所能作的是复活。撒但要主完全死；但是主有一个生命，是死所摸不着、抓不牢的。主是走干地而过了！……胜过死，除了主的复活以外，没有别的能力。我们在重生时所得着的，就是这复活的生命。

　　过红海与过约但河是有分别的。过红海，是……不得不过；因为有仇敌的追逼，不过去就不能得救。过约但河，却是要出乎

　　 人的甘愿，是在乎人自己的拣选。有的人不肯过约但河，许多人并没有要复活的大能。保罗看重复活的大能，所以他竭力地追求（腓三10~12）。许多人已经与主同复活了，可是他们还不知道什么是主复活的大能。所以他们并没有胜过死亡的经历。

　　在这被提紧近的当儿，信徒最末了应当胜过的一个仇敌，就是死亡。无论是在身体上的死，或是心思上的死，或是灵性上的死，都当胜过。现在的世界真是布满了死的空气。一面，许多为主所用的人，常感受到身体的软弱和疾病。一面，许多人的脑力好像麻木了许多，思想、记忆、集中力，都不像从前那样的敏捷。一面，许多人的灵好像受了死的包围，不活泼，没有能力，痿痹得很，好像瘫痪似的，不能支配并应付环境对于他灵的要求。信徒在预备被提的日子中，必须学习如何过约但河，胜过死亡。学习与在自己身上，并环境中死的势力抵抗，在许多的事上显出复活的大能来。我们必须越过越证明我们的主已经是复活了的，同时也表明我们这些与祂联合的人也是已经复活了的。

　　我们若要得以利亚的被提，若要得以利沙外衣的圣灵，无论如何，总得从吉甲动身，直到过了约但河。圣灵只能降在一个充满复活生命的人身上。……吉甲、伯特利、耶利哥、约但河，都是我们所当经过的—在被提之前经过，像以利亚当日一样。神告诉你要被提，请你走当走的路—从吉甲动身，直到过约但河。神是在那里等着你！（倪柝声文集第一辑第九册，二四五至二四六页）

　　参读：雅歌结晶读经，第五至六篇；雅歌生命读经，第三、九篇。

　　The Jordan signifies the power of death. Crossing the Jordan is overcoming death. This is to be raptured.

　　The Lord’s baptism [in the river Jordan] signifies death, and coming out of the water signifies resurrection. By the power of resurrection, the Lord overcomes death. The greatest power of Satan is death. The Lord seems to have said to the enemy, “Try your best to do what you can to Me.” Satan exhausted what he could do; but God resurrected Him. Satan wanted the Lord to die, but the Lord has a life which death cannot touch or hold down. The Lord passed through it on dry land! There is no power other than the Lord’s resurrection which can overcome death. We obtained this resurrection life at regeneration.

　　There is a difference between crossing the Red Sea and crossing the river Jordan. The crossing of the Red Sea was forced upon the Israelites at that time. They had no alternative but to cross over because there were enemies pursuing. But crossing the river Jordan comes out of man’s willingness and is man’s own choice. There are some who will not cross the river Jordan. Many do not want the power of resurrection. Paul regarded the power of resurrection as important, and he pursued it (Phil. 3:10-12). Many people have already resurrected with the Lord, yet they still do not know the power of the Lord’s resurrection. Therefore, they do not have the experience of overcoming death.

　　At this hour when the rapture is imminent, the last enemy that believers should overcome is death. Whether it is the death of the body, the death of the mind, or the death of the spiritual life, everything should be overcome. The present world is truly filled with the atmosphere of death ...While preparing to be raptured, the believers must learn how to cross the Jordan and overcome death. They must learn to resist the power of death that exists in them and in their environment and must manifest the power of resurrection in all things. We should prove more and more that our Lord is resurrected. At the same time, we should demonstrate that we are joined to Him and have also been resurrected.

　　If we want to receive the rapture of Elijah and the outer garment of Elisha (the Holy Spirit), we must start from Gilgal and continue until we cross the river Jordan. The Holy Spirit can only descend upon those who are full of the resurrection life...We must pass through Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and the river Jordan. We must pass through all these places before we can be raptured, just as Elijah did in that day. God has told us that we will be raptured. Now we need to follow our course. We should... go on until we cross the Jordan. God is waiting for us there! (CWWN, vol. 9, pp. 312-314)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “Crystallization-study of Song of Songs,” chs. 5-6; Life-study of Song of Songs, msgs. 3, 9