启二二16 我耶稣差遣我的使者，为众召会将这些事向你们作见证。我是大卫的根，又是他的后裔，我是明亮的晨星。

　　玛四2　 但向你们敬畏我名的人，必有公义的日头升起，其翅膀有医治之能；你们必如圈里的肥牛犊出来跳跃。

　　基督在回来时，对得胜者将是晨星（启二二16）。在启示录二章二十八节，祂给得胜者应许，说，“我……要把晨星赐给他。”在基督第一次显现时，看见祂星的（太二2、9~10），不是犹太宗教家，乃是星象家。在基督第二次显现时，祂将是晨星，给那些儆醒等候祂来的得胜者作赏赐；但对所有其余的人，祂只出现如日头（玛四2）。……晨星出现是隐密的，但日头出现是公开的。主应许我们若儆醒等候祂来，祂就要向我们显现为晨星作赏赐（新约总论第二册，一四八页）。

　　基督是大卫的根，也是大卫的后裔〔启二二16〕，与以色列人和国度有关；祂是明亮的晨星，与召会和被提有关。晨星是在黎明前最黑暗的时刻前出现。大灾难就是这最黑暗的时候，随后，国度的白昼就要破晓。在国度里，基督要像日头，公开向祂的百姓显现；但在大灾难之前，祂要像晨星，暗中向祂的得胜者显现（新约总论第十四册，三九九页）。

　　Rev. 22:16 I Jesus have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright morning star.

　　Mal. 4:2 But unto you who fear My name will the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings, and you will go forth and leap about like well-fed calves.

　　In His coming back Christ will be the morning star to the overcomers (Rev. 22:16). In Revelation 2:28 He gives a promise to the overcomer, saying, “To him I will give the morning star.” At Christ's first appearing the wise men, not the Jewish religionists, saw His star (Matt. 2:2, 9-10). At His second appearing He will be the morning star as a reward to His overcomers who watch for His coming. To all others He will appear only as the sun (Mal. 4:2)… The appearing of the morning star is secret, but the appearing of the sun is open. The Lord promised that if we are watchful and wait for His coming, He will appear to us as the morning star for a reward.

　　Christ as the Root and Offspring of David [Rev. 22:16] is related to Israel and the kingdom, whereas His being the bright morning star is related to the church and the rapture. The morning star appears before the darkest hour, prior to dawn. The great tribulation will be this darkest hour, after which the day of the kingdom will dawn. In the kingdom the Lord will appear publicly to His people as the sun, but before the great tribulation He will appear privately to His overcomers as the morning star. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 350-351)

　　主耶稣在启示录二十二章十二节说，“看哪，我必快来！”也在二十节说，“是的，我必快来！”我们向祂爱的响应该是：“阿们。主耶稣啊，我愿你来！”（20，提后四8）……我们

　　该常常这样呼求祂来……。我们必须告诉主：“主耶稣，我爱你，我也爱慕你的显现。因着我爱你，我爱慕你的显现。”

　　在使徒们的心中，他们一直坚信，主必快来，他们也过着预备主再来的生活。这就好比久别的亲人即将回来，全家都准备好去迎接。又像待嫁的女子，知道结婚的日子，一心一意等待那天的来到。保罗就有这样的态度，……我们读帖撒罗尼迦前书，就可以看得出来。这卷书共有五章，每一章末了都是以主的来临作结束。这指明保罗是一个爱慕主显现的人（提后四8）。我们都该以保罗为榜样，爱慕主的显现。

　　我们既爱慕主的显现，就该热切等待祂的来临（腓三20，帖前一10）。因此，我们的将来就在祂身上。我们的生活该指明我们在地上没有别的盼望，我们的盼望乃在于要来的主，祂是我们永远的定命。保罗在林前七章说，“弟兄们，……时候缩短了。从此以后，那有妻子的，要像没有妻子；哀哭的，要像不哀哭；喜乐的，要像不喜乐；置买的，要像无所拥有；使用世物的，要像不浪费使用；因这世界的样子正在逝去。”（29~31）基督才是我们真实的盼望。

　　在等候主的回来时，我们该学习敬畏祂。主在路加十二章说了一个比喻：有一个财主努力积攒钱财，要叫魂享用快乐；神却对他说，“无知的人哪，今夜必要你的魂。”（20）我们能有每一个“今天”，实在都是主的恩典。所以，只要还有今天，只要气息尚存，我们就当爱主，并爱慕祂的显现，等待主来（腓三20），并且常以此事为勉（新约总论第十四册，三九九至四○一页）。

　　参读：新约总论，第三十二、四百一十一、四百三十五篇。

　　In Revelation 22:12 the Lord Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly.” In verse 20 the Lord also said, “Yes, I come quickly.” Our loving response should be, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (v. 20; 2 Tim. 4:8)…We should always call for His coming…We must tell the Lord, “Lord Jesus, I love You, and I love Your appearing. Because I love You, I love Your appearing.”

　　In their hearts the apostles firmly believed that the Lord would come quickly and that they also lived a life in preparation for the Lord’s second coming. This is like the situation in which some long-separated relatives are soon to return. The entire family is prepared to welcome them. It is also like a girl waiting to be married, who knows of the wedding day and who is waiting wholeheartedly for that day to arrive. Paul was one who had such an attitude…We can see this by reading 1 Thessalonians. This book has five chapters, each of which concludes with the Lord's coming back. This indicates that Paul was one who loved the Lord’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). Taking Paul as our pattern, we should love the Lord’s appearing.

　　Since we love the Lord’s appearing, we should earnestly wait for His coming (Phil. 3:20; 1 Thes. 1:10). Hence, our future is with Him. Our living should indicate that we have no other hope on earth. Our hope is in the coming Lord. He is our eternal destiny. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul says, “Brothers, the time is shortened. Henceforth both those who have wives should be as though they had none, and those who weep as though they did not weep, and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use the world as though they did not abuse it; for the fashion of this world is passing away” (vv. 29-31). Christ is our real hope.

　　While waiting for the Lord’s return, we should learn to fear Him. In Luke 12 the Lord gave a parable concerning a rich man who endeavored to lay up wealth for himself so that his soul might enjoy itself and be merry. But God said to him, “Foolish one, this night they are requiring your soul from you” (v. 20). Every “today” that we have is truly the Lord’s grace. Therefore, as long as we have today, as long as we still have breath, we should love the Lord and His appearing, await the Lord’s coming (Phil. 3:20), and always take His coming as an encouragement. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4448-4449)

　　Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 32, 411, 435