启一16 祂右手中拿着七星，从祂口中出来一把两刃的利剑，面貌如同烈日中天发光。

　　来四12 因为神的话是活的，是有功效的，比一切两刃的剑更锋利，能以刺入、甚至剖开魂与灵，骨节与骨髓，连心中的思念和主意都能辨明。

　　启示录一章十六节说，“祂右手中拿着七星。”二十节清楚地说，“七星就是七个召会的使者。”使者是众召会中属灵的人，担负着“耶稣的见证”的责任。他们应当像星一样，有属天的性质，并在属天的地位上。

　　在召会堕落的黑夜里，需要集体的召会发光，也需要单个的使者发光。基督行走在众召会中间的时候，祂的右手握着这些领头的人。这是何等的安慰！召会中领头的人都当赞美祂，因为他们在主的手中，并且主也一直地握住他们。

　　在启示录里，没有提到召会里的长老，只有使者。写这卷书的时候，召会已经堕落了，因此在启示录里，主抛弃了所有的形式。作长老或许有点形式化，所以不要盼望作长老，要羡慕作发光的星（启示录生命读经，一二六至一二七页）。

　　Rev. 1:16 And He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword; and His face shone as the sun shines in its power.

　　Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

　　Revelation 1:16 says, “He had in His right hand seven stars.” As verse 20 makes clear, “the seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches.” The messengers are the spiritual ones in the churches bearing the responsibility of the testimony of Jesus. Like stars, they should be of the heavenly nature and in a heavenly position.

　　In the dark night of the church’s degradation, the shining of both the collective churches and the individual messengers is needed. As Christ walks among the churches, He holds the leading ones in His right hand. How comforting this is! The leading ones must praise Him that they are in His hands and that He is holding them.

　　In the book of Revelation there are no elders in the churches; rather, there are messengers. At the time this book was written, the church had become degraded. Hence, in Revelation, the Lord repudiates all formalities. Being an elder may be somewhat legal or formal. Do not aspire to be an elder; desire to be a shining star. (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 100-101)

　　启示录一章十六节告诉我们，“从祂口中出来一把两刃的利剑。”……这就是祂那辨明、审判、击杀的话（来四12，弗六17）。恩言是为着供应恩典给祂所喜爱的人，两刃的利剑是为着对付消极的人事物。……要记得，今天说话的灵，就是这位口中出来一把两刃利剑的基督。这里是有审判的，我们都经

　　历过这样的审判。……所有的基督徒，今天都需要主话的审判。许多时候，我们因着作错了事，离开了主，就经历到这样的审判。因着我们流荡离开了祂，祂就来审判我们。今天祂的说话，大都是一种审判。我能作见证，主若是对你说话，祂的话大部分是审判的话。祂说话时，就是在审判。今天在召会中，祂口中出来的每一句话，都像一把利刃，审判我们。从主口中所出来的话是锋利的，刺入我们这人，把我们的灵与魂分开，甚至辨明我们心中的意念。这就是我们今天在召会生活中所经历的基督。

　　我们是人，都有许多意见。但就如我们都能见证的，每次一个意见兴起时，那把剑就把它切成碎片。你越想你的意见，就越被切得粉碎。这不是道理，乃是我们的经历。每当两位弟兄快要打起来了，第三方，就是最强的一方就出现，用利剑把这两位弟兄的意见切除。……这位第三方就是人子基督，祂是那行走在众召会中间，并在爱里照顾众召会的大祭司。

　　启示录一章十六节也告诉我们，祂的“面貌如同烈日中天发光”。在雅歌五章十、十三节，祂的面貌可爱美丽，为给追求祂者欣赏；在书信里，祂的脸面返照神的荣耀（林后四6），为将生命分赐到祂的信徒里面；但在〔启示录〕，祂的面貌如同烈日中天发光，正如但以理十章六节所说的，这是为着审判的光照，以带进国度。祂变化形像，脸面发光如日头时，那就是祂在国度里的来临（太十六28~十七2）。当祂来为国度取得这地时，祂的脸面要像日头一样（启十1）（启示录生命读经，一二八至一三○页）。

　　参读：国度的操练为着教会的建造，第三、五篇。

　　In Revelation 1:16 we are told that “out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword.”…This is His discerning, judging, and slaying word (Heb.

　　4:12; Eph. 6:17). The words of grace are for His supply of grace to His favored ones, whereas the sharp two-edged sword is for His dealing with negative persons and things…Remember that the speaking Spirit today is just this Christ who speaks with a two-edged sword. There is judgment here, and we all have experienced this…Today all Christians need the judgment of the Lord by His word. Many times we have experienced this judgment because of our being mistaken and going astray from the Lord. Since we had wandered away from Him, He came to judge us. His speaking today is mainly a type of judgment. I can testify to you that if the Lord would speak to you, most of His words would be words of judgment. When He speaks, He judges. Every word out of His mouth in the churches today is like a sharp knife that judges us. The words that proceed out of the Lord’s mouth are sharp, piercing into our being, dividing our soul from our spirit, and discerning the intentions of our heart. This is the Christ we experience today in the church life.

　　We are human and have many opinions. But, as we all can testify, every time an opinion rises up, the sword cuts it to pieces. The more you think about your opinion, the more you are cut. This is not doctrine—this is our experience. Whenever two brothers are close to fighting, the third party, the strongest party, appears, using the sharp sword to cut the opinions of both brothers…This third party is the very Christ, the Son of Man, who, as the High Priest, walks among the churches and cares for them in love.

　　In Revelation 1:16 we are also told that “His face shone as the sun shines in its power.” In Song of Songs 5:10 and 13, Christ's face appears lovely for His seeker's appreciation of Him, and in the Epistles His face reflects God's glory (2 Cor. 4:6) for the imparting of life into His believers. Here, however, His face shone as the sun shines in its power, as in Daniel 10:6; this shining is the judging enlightenment for bringing in the kingdom. When He was transfigured and His face shone like the sun, that was His coming in the kingdom (Matt. 16:28—17:2). When He comes to take over the earth for the kingdom, His face will be like the sun (Rev. 10:1). (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 101-103)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Exercise of the Kingdom for the Building of the Church,” chs. 3, 5