来十一7 挪亚因着信，既蒙神指示他未见的事，……预备了一只方舟，使他全家得救……。

　　太十六18 我还告诉你，你是彼得，我要把我的召会建造在这磐石上……。

　　弗四12　 为要成全圣徒，目的是为着职事的工作，为着建造基督的身体。

　　神给挪亚的几乎是包罗万有的启示，是他的一切先祖所没有看见过，更进一步的启示。以诺虽然预言，当他的儿子玛土撒拉死的时候，洪水要来（这就是“玛土撒拉”这名的意思），神的审判要临到这败坏的地；他甚至预言到主的来临（犹14）；但以诺从来没有看见过神要结束这败坏的世代，而带进一个新时代之路的异象。挪亚的先祖们，没有一个看见过这个启示。有一天神临到挪亚，将这异象启示给挪亚。结果挪亚对敬虔事物的眼界大得开阔，他比一切的先祖们看见得更多更广。……我们都需要有这样的启示（创世记生命读经，四七七页）。

　　Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah, having been divinely instructed concerning things not yet seen…, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house…

　　Matt. 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church…

　　Eph. 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

　　God gave Noah what was nearly an all-inclusive revelation, a further revelation that none of Noah’s forefathers saw. Although Enoch prophesied that when his son Methuselah died, the deluge would come (the meaning of the name Methuselah) and that God’s judgment would be executed upon the corrupted earth, and although he even prophesied about the Lord’s coming (Jude 14), Enoch never received the vision of the way that God would terminate the corrupted generation and bring in a new age. None of Noah’s forefathers saw this revelation. One day God came to Noah and revealed it to him. As a result of this, Noah’s view of godly things was greatly broadened, and he saw much more than all his forefathers did…We all need such a revelation. (Life-study of Genesis, p. 390)

　　原则上，我们的情形与挪亚的情形完全一样。今天的世代是败坏的，地上充满了邪恶和强暴。照着人的观念，神似乎已被击败，且被赶离这地。然而我们有没有看清，今天有一个大的“但”字？……我们承继了已往历世纪所实行一切敬虔的路。那我们该不该停在这里？……不该！虽然我们承继了这许多敬虔的事物，并且满意又满足，但是神如何？神的目的如何？神需要结束这个时代。神需要世代的改变。神需要一只方舟，可以将祂的子民从这世代带出来，并开始一个新的时代。神不仅给挪亚看见那邪恶的世代，也向他启示了祂的心意。神从前是，现在仍是一位有目的的神；在祂的目的上，祂永不会被击败。多年前，神给我们看见了祂的目的。你们许多人读过倪弟兄亲自作的见证，说到他有一次作了一个梦，意思是得了启示，看见中国各地都兴起了地方召会。他看见神兴起的众召会。他所说的梦，实际上就是启示。很多年以前，神借着倪弟兄给我们看见，祂需要众召会。在主再来之前，需要有众召会兴起来。不然的话，祂无法回来。今天的方舟是什么？……乃是众召会。神向挪亚启示了方舟；我也必须见证，神向我们启示了正确召会生活的需要。正确的召会生活就是神今天所需要的方舟。要结束这世代并带进新时代，必须有召会生活。

　　主今天要作什么？祂不仅要拯救人，使人讨神喜悦，教导人呼求主名，叫人能与神一同生活、生养并行事。……祂需要兴起众召会。祂的心意乃是要吸引那些爱祂的人、追求祂的人，将他们聚集在一起，实行正确的召会生活，作为对付仇敌黑暗国度的见证，并作为祂回来的预备。这是祂今日的心意。我们都必须看见这个，并作今日的挪亚，建造这“方舟”，好结束这个世代，并带进国度的新时代。

　　神不仅有心意，还有渴望。神的确……饥渴地要得着这个。神渴望要有召会生活。……神需要召会。……我们……传福音，但我们传福音的目标是为着建造召会。……我们都需要看见异象。我们都必须有当今的启示，看见什么是神的心愿。你要作今天的挪亚么？你如果要，就必须看见挪亚所作的。神所渴望的，不仅是成千成万人的得救，更是有美妙的召会生活（创世记生命读经，四七七、四七九、四八一至四八三页）。

　　参读：创世记生命读经，第二十九篇。

　　In principle, our situation is exactly the same as Noah’s. Today’s generation is corrupt, and the earth is filled with evil and violence. It seems that, according to man’s concept, God has been defeated and driven out of the earth. However, do you not realize that today there is a big “but”?…We have inherited all the godly ways that were exercised in the past centuries. But should we stop here?…No. Although we have inherited so many godly things and are satisfied and contented, how about God? How about God’s purpose? God needs to terminate this age. He needs a change of generation.

　　He needs an ark that can bring His people out of this generation and start a new age.

　　God not only showed Noah the evil generation but also revealed to him His intention. God was and still is a God of purpose, and He can never be defeated in His purpose. Years and years ago, God showed us His purpose. Many of you have read Brother Nee’s own testimony in which he says that once he had a dream, meaning a revelation, in which he saw local churches raised up throughout China. He saw churches raised up by God. What he called a dream was actually a revelation. Through him, many years ago, God showed us His need of the churches. Before the Lord comes back, He needs the churches to be raised up. Otherwise, He will have no way to return. What is today’s ark?…It is the churches. God revealed the ark to Noah, and I must testify that God has revealed to us the need for the proper church life. The proper church life is the ark God needs today. The church life is needed to terminate this generation and to bring in a new age.

　　What does the Lord want to do today? He does not simply want to save people, cause them to please God, teach them to call on the name of the Lord, and enable them to live, beget, and walk with God…He needs the churches to be raised up. His intention is to attract His lovers and seekers and gather them together to practice the proper church life as a testimony against the enemy’s kingdom of darkness and as a preparation for His return. This is His intention today. We all need to see this and build this “ark” to be today’s Noah that we may terminate this generation and usher in the new age of the kingdom.

　　God not only has an intention but also a desire…He is…hungry and thirsty for this. God desires to have the church life. God needs the church… We…preach the gospel,…but our goal in doing so is the building up of the church. We all need to see the vision. We all must have today’s revelation to see what is God’s heart’s desire. Are you going to be today’s Noah? If you are, you must see what Noah did. God’s desire is not only that thousands of people be saved but to have the wonderful church life. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 390-395)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 29