启示录生命读经 · 第31篇

对灯台经历的四方面

FOUR ASPECTS OF THE EXPERIENCE OF THE LAMPSTAND

1创世记是一块田地，差不多所有真理的种子都撒在里面；到了启示录，在圣经起头所撒的种子就有了收成。在这本总结的书中，众地方召会很是要紧，也是本书的中心点。我们看过，神的启示与彰显是一直进展的，而其进展的目的地乃是众地方召会。圣经中，不仅有神的启示，更有祂的彰显。启示可以说比较近乎道理，但彰显确定的是与经历有关。因此，圣经不光给我们道理，也给我们经历；不光有神的启示，也有神的彰显。若是没有众地方召会，神的启示和彰显就没有目的地。那狡猾的仇敌撒但恨恶众地方召会。多少世纪以来，许多很好的基督教教师，花了工夫在许多别的事上。我们承认其中许多是很重要的。但不管怎样，他们大多数都失去目标，看不见众地方召会这个目的地。我们要敬拜赞美神，祂是主。祂绝不让这事过去。祂在前几个世纪，恢复了许多项目以后，终于在我们这个时代，来到这个目的地。因这缘故，我们日日夜夜惟一的负担，就是要建造众地方召会。我们所受到一切的攻击和反对，只因为我们是为著众地方召会站住。

1Genesis is the field into which nearly all the seeds of the truths were sown. In Revelation we have the harvest of the truths sown in the beginning of the Bible. In this book of consummation, the local churches are crucial. The local churches are also the focus of this book. We have seen that the local churches are the destination of God’s progressive revelation and manifestation. In the Bible we not only have God’sr evelation but also His manifestation. Revelation may be considered as being close to doctrine, but manifestation is definitely related to experience. Therefore, the Bible not only gives us the doctrine but also the experience, not only the revelation of God, but also the manifestation of God. If there were no local churches, there would be no destination for God’sr evelation and manifestation. The subtle enemy, Satan, hates the local churches. Throughout the centuries, many good Christian teachers have devoted their attention to many other things. We admit that some of these things have been important. Nevertheless, most of these teachers have still missed the mark, missing the destination of the local churches. We must worship and praise God for being the Lord. He would never let this matter go. After recovering so many items during the past several centuries, in our time He has come to this destination. This is the reason that, day and night, our only burden is to build up the local churches. All the attack and opposition that we undergo are simply because of our stand for the local churches

灯台是召会的豫表

THE LAMPSTAND AS A TYPE OF THE CHURCH

2我们都知道，旧约圣经中找不出『召会』一辞。这辞第一次是用在马太十六章十八节，在那里主耶稣说，『我要把我的召会建造…。』不过，旧约里有许多豫表是召会的豫影。譬如说，在创世记二章，那妻子就豫表召会是基督的配偶。不仅如此，帐幕和圣殿，都豫表召会是神在地上人间的居所。以色列人这个团体的子民，象征召会也是一个团体的人，为著彰显神。但这许多的豫表中，没有一个能像灯台那样，包罗了各方面。

2Everybody knows that the term church is not found in the Old Testament. The first time it is used is in Matthew 16:18, where the Lord Jesus said, “I will build my church.” However, in the Old Testament there are many types that foreshadow the church. For instance, in Genesis 2 we have the bride as a type of the church being Christ’s counterpart. Furthermore, both the tabernacle and the temple are types of the church being God’s dwelling place among men on earth. The children of Israel as a corporate people signify that the church is also a corporate people to express God. None of these types, however, is as all-inclusive as the lampstand.

3第一处题到灯台，是在出埃及二十五章。如果我们只有这一章，我们还不能知道灯台与召会或众召会有甚么关系。快到旧约圣经的末了，在撒迦利亚四章再次题到了灯台，而且说得比出埃及记里的更往前进了一步。出埃及记里只说到灯台有七盏灯，没有说明七盏灯是指甚么；但在撒迦利亚书里，就对七灯作了明确的解释，因为那里告诉我们说，七灯就是神的七眼，（亚四10，）和石头上的七眼。（亚三9。）撒迦利亚书告诉了我们两个关于灯台的要点：灯台上的七灯就是神的七眼，又是石头上的七眼。试把撒迦利亚书所陈明的这幅图画想一想。石头上有七眼，就是神的七眼，指明这七眼将神的所是传输到我们里面。神是光、生命、爱、圣别等等，祂这一切所是就是生命的元素，要藉著祂的七眼传输到我们里面。对我们人来说也是这样，因为当我们看著别人时，我们的某些成分就藉著我们的眼睛，传送到别人里面。神的七眼也是石头上的七眼，这有甚么意义？毫无疑问，石头乃是为著建造；因此，七眼不仅把神作为生命的元素传输到我们里面，更把基督作为建造的材料传输到我们里面，使我们成为神建造的材料。撒迦利亚四章二至六节和十节也含示，神的七眼，就是灯台上的七灯，乃是那灵。因为在回答『这是甚么意思』这个问题的时候，天使说，『万军之耶和华说，不是倚靠势力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的灵。』（亚四6。）这节指明，只有藉著那灵，我们在神的建造上方能成事。所以，我们看见撒迦利亚四章里的灯台，比起出埃及二十五章里的灯台，有了明确的进展。不过，撒迦利亚书还不是总结的书，我们必须往前，直到圣经最末了的一卷书，就是启示录。在启示录里有七个金灯台。这卷书也启示说，七灯就是神的七灵和羔羊的七眼。（启五6。）因此，灯台包括了神、基督、那灵、救赎主、以及建造的材料。

3The lampstand is first mentioned in Exodus 25. If we only had this chapter, we would be unable to realize that the lampstand is related to the church or to the churches. Near the end of the Old Testament, we find the lampstand mentioned again in Zechariah 4. Zechariah shows some progress and improvement over Exodus. In Exodus we only have the lampstand with the seven lamps; there is no mention of what the seven lamps refer to. But in Zechariah we are given a definite interpretation of the seven lamps, for in this book we are told that the seven lamps are the seven eyes of God (4:10) and the seven eyes of the stone (3:9). Zechariah tells us two main things regarding the lampstand—that the seven lamps of the lampstand are the seven eyes of God and the seven eyes of the stone. Consider the picture presented in Zechariah. That the stone has seven eyes, which are the seven eyes of God, indicates that these seven eyes infuse what God is into us. God is light, life, love, holiness, etc. All that He is as the life element is infused into us through His seven eyes. This is even true of us as human beings, for as we look at others something of us is infused into them through our eyes. What is the significance of the seven eyes of God also being the seven eyes of the stone? Undoubtedly, the stone is for building. Thus, these seven eyes not only infuse God as the life element into our being; they also infuse Christ into us as the building material, making us the material for God’s building. Zechariah 4:2-6 and 10 also imply that these seven eyes of God, which are the seven lamps of the lampstand, are the Spirit. In answering the question, “What are these?” it says, “Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord” (4:6). This verse indicates that it is only through the Spirit that we can be prevailing in God’s building. Hence, we can see that the lampstand in Zechariah 4 reveals a definite development beyond the lampstand in Exodus 25. However, Zechariah is not the book of consummation, and we must continue until we come to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. In Revelation there are seven golden lampstands. This book also reveals that the seven lamps are the seven Spirits of God and the seven eyes of the Lamb (5:6). Therefore, the lampstand includes God, Christ, the Spirit, the Redeemer, and the building material.

灯台的四方面

FOUR ASPECTS OF THE LAMPSTAND

为著我们的经历

FOR OUR EXPERIENCE

4我们思想出埃及二十五章，撒迦利亚三、四章，以及启示录这卷书，就看见灯台有四方面，是我们必须经历的。第一，我们必须有分于灯台的素质，就是灯台金的元素。第二，我们必须经历这金质形成一个确定的形状，就是灯台的形状；灯台的金子不是一块，而是形成台的形状。第三，随著台的形状，我们还要经历灯台藉著七灯的照耀而有的彰显。第四，就是灯台的繁殖。因此，我们必须经历灯台的四方面：元素、形状、彰显和繁殖。

4As we consider Exodus 25, Zechariah 3 and 4, and the book of Revelation, we see four aspects of the lampstand that we must experience. Firstly, we must participate in the essence, the golden element, of the lampstand. Secondly, we must experience the forming of this golden substance into a definite form— the stand. The gold in the lampstand is not a lump; rather, it is formed into a stand. Thirdly, along with the form, we must experience the expression of the lampstand through the shining of the seven lamps. Fourthly, there is the matter of the reproduction of the lampstand. Hence, we must experience four aspects of the lampstand— the element, the form, the expression, and the reproduction.

经历金的元素

EXPERIENCING THE GOLDEN ELEMENT

5我们都需要经历灯台金的元素。我们若只有一两黄金，怎能作出一个灯台？这是不可能的。我们或者可以作出一只戒指，但必定无法作出一个灯台。要作一个灯台，必须有一他连得的金子。（出二五39。）（一他连得约重一百磅。）我们需要更多的金子，更多神的成分。若要召会成为灯台，必须先有金为本质，这金就是神自己的本质、素质、元素。我们若没有这本质，所有关于召会的讲论都是空的。今天许多基督徒的光景是何等可怜。他们只有一点点的本质，一点点神圣的精金；但他们不去寻得更多的金质，反去谈论空虚的道理。就算我们讲的道理很完全、正确、基要、合乎圣经，但道理还不是神自己。只有神自己才是那个元素。我们何等需要神作金的元素！

5We all need to experience the golden element of the lampstand. If we only have an ounce of gold, how could we form a lampstand? This would be impossible. We might be able to make a ring, but certainly not a lampstand. In order to have a lampstand, there must be a talent of gold (Exo. 25:39). (A talent equals approximately one hundred pounds, or sixteen hundred ounces.) We need more gold, more of God. If we would have the church as the lampstand, we must have something substantial—the gold, which is the substance, the essence, the element, of God Himself. If we do not have this substance, all our talk about the church is vain. How pitiful is the situation among so many Christians today. They have so little of the substance, of the divine gold; instead of acquiring the substance, they discuss vain doctrine. Even if our doctrine is sound, right, fundamental, and scriptural, it is not God Himself. Only God Himself is the element. How we need God as the golden element

6神是甚么？在约翰四章二十四节，主耶稣清楚的说，『神是灵。』在原文，这里的『灵』字之前没有冠词。因此，我们不该说神是『个』灵，乃要说神是灵。说神是灵，就像说桌子是木头一样。桌子的元素是木头，同样，神的元素就是灵。照著约翰四章二十四节，敬拜神的必须在灵里拜祂。敬拜神，不是仅仅向祂屈膝，乃是要达到祂、接触祂、接受祂。按约翰四章的上下文，敬拜神就是喝祂作活水，（约四14，）活水就是那灵流进我们里面。我们怎能接受祂到里面作这活水？乃是藉著全人向祂敞开，并藉著运用我们的灵。我们必须将神自己这金的元素，接受到我们的深处。我们需要日夜敞开自己。绝不要向祂关闭自己，或向祂关闭你里面任何一个部分。要向祂说，『神阿，我完全向你敞开，我运用我的灵来接触你这神圣之灵！哦，神圣的灵，来到我里面，并浸透我！』这就是得到更多金子的路。

6What is God? In John 4:24 the Lord Jesus clearly said, “God is Spirit.” In Greek, there is no article before the word Spirit. Thus, we should not say that God is a Spirit, but that God is Spirit. To say that God is Spirit is like saying that the table is wood. Just as the element of the table is wood, so the element of God is Spirit. According to John 4:24 in order to worship God we must worship Him in spirit. To worship God is not simply to bow down to Him; it is to reach Him, to contact Him, and to receive Him. According to the context of John 4, to worship God is to drink of Him as the living water (v. 14), which is the very Spirit flowing into our being. How can we receive Him into us as this living water? We receive Him by opening our whole being to Him and by exercising our spirit. We must receive God Himself as the golden element into the depths of our being. Day and night, we need to open ourselves. Never close yourself to Him or shut any part of your being to Him. Rather, tell Him, “O God, I am absolutely open to You. I exercise my spirit to contact You, the divine Spirit. O divine Spirit, come into me and saturate me.” This is the way to gain more gold.

7如果我们都得到更多的金子，我们中间就不只有一他连得，也许有一百他连得，我们就有极丰富的神圣元素，作灯台的材料。所有的弟兄姊妹都会满了神；不论我们走到那里，都能看到金子。我们进到圣徒的家中，就会不见别的，只见金子。当我去看望弟兄姊妹，我会看到金子；到年轻人那里，会看到金子，接触年长的，会看到更多的金子。姊妹们不该是木头泥巴，应该都是金子。每当我听见姊妹们说闲话，总觉得羞耻。我虽然不定罪她们，却有羞耻的感觉，因为召会中的姊妹应该是金子。说闲话的姊妹不是真正在召会里。同样，我每次看到弟兄毫无爱心的与妻子吵架，我也觉得羞惭。这个弟兄里面的金子到那里去了？他若是召会里的弟兄，就该满了金子。当我看见这些事情，我就把脸转开；我不愿意看见圣徒们的泥巴样。我喜欢看见他们里面的金子。我们都需要更多的金子。召会必须满了金，满了神。我看到这种光景，就觉得荣耀，就在三层天上。

7If we all gain more gold, among us there will not only be one talent but perhaps a hundred talents. We shall be exceedingly rich in the divine element, in the material for the lampstand. All the brothers and sisters will be full of God and wherever we go, we shall see gold. When we enter into the saints’ homes, we shall see nothing but gold. When I visit the brothers and sisters, I shall see gold. When I come to the young ones, I shall see gold, and when I contact the older ones, I shall see even more gold. The sisters should not be wooden or muddy; they should be golden. I always feel shameful when I hear some sisters gossiping. Although I do not condemn them, I experience the sense of shame, for sisters in the church must be golden. A gossiping sister is not truly in the church. Likewise, I also feel shameful whenever I see a brother exchanging words without love with his wife. Where is the gold in this brother? If he is a brother in the church, he should be full of gold. When I see such things, I turn away. I do not like to see the muddy condition of the saints. Rather, I enjoy seeing the gold in them. We all need more gold. The church must be full of gold, full of God. When I see this, I feel glorious and I am in the third heaven

THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GOLD

金子锤成灯台的经历

BEING BEATEN TO FORM THE STAND

8光有一大堆金子还不彀。我们就是有了一千他连得的金子，仍然没有灯台，因为只有本质，还没有形体。我们怎样才能有形体？所有基要派研读圣经的人都同意，灯台是由金子锤打出来的。一位弟兄可能有十磅金子，另一位有七磅，还有一位有五磅。怎能把这许多金子作成灯台呢？只有藉著将金子锤打在一起。所有的金子必须锤在一起，作成一个。这是指建造。首先，我们需要金子的本质，然后需要藉著锤打而有的建造。今天，主若看不到甚么建造，这对祂乃是羞耻。好多人为著召会和我们争辩，问为甚么我们说自己是召会，而他们不是。但问题乃是：那里有建造？你甚至可能有一大堆的金子，但若没有藉著建造而出来一个形体，就没有灯台。这就是说，你只有很多的金子，却缺少灯台，缺少建造。

8However, it is not adequate merely to have a large quantity of gold. We may have a thousand talents of gold and not yet have the lampstand, for we may just have the substance without the form. How can we have the form? All fundamental students of the Bible agree that the lampstand was made by beating the gold. One brother may have ten pounds of gold, another may have seven pounds, and still another may have five pounds. How can all this gold be formed into a stand? Only by its being beaten together. All the gold must be brought together into one. This refers to the building. Firstly, we need the substance and then we need the building by beating. It is a shame to the Lord if today He cannot see any building. Many people argue with us about the church, asking how we can say that we are the church and that they are not the church. But the question is: where is the building? You may even have a great deal of gold, but if you do not have the form, by the way of the building, you do not have the lampstand. This means that you may be rich in gold but poor in the lampstand—the building.

9若要有灯台，你就得和别人被锤在一起。你需要失去自我。不要说，『这是我的金子，我多属灵。』就著灯台而言，你若只为属灵而属灵，就毫无意义。你对神的经历和享受，必须和别人的锤在一起。我们的金子必须放在一起，锤成一个，建造成一个实体，一个单位；这样，我们就不但有金子，并且被建造成一个灯台，这就是召会。若是在安那翰的召会，不过有几百个个人单位，那我们就完了。神不是要几百个个别的金块，祂要所有的金子都放在一起，锤打成为灯台。建造的需要太大了！我们若看见了建造，就绝不会有个人主义；反而看见，我们所得著的神圣元素，都是为著灯台的建造。神的心意是为著建造，所以我们释放了一篇又一篇的信息，说到我们需要神在基督里作我们的本质，使我们能被建造在一起。我们有大量的金子，因而满有神的成分，这固然很好；但你仍是个人主义的呢，还是团体实体中的一部分？我们需要建造。

9If you would have the stand, you must be beaten together with others. You need to lose your identification. Do not say, “This is my gold. I’m spiritual.” For you to be spiritual as an end in itself is meaningless as far as the lampstand is concerned. Your experience and enjoyment of God must be beaten together with that of others. Our gold must be put together, beaten, and built up as one entity, as one unit. Then we not only have the gold, but are also built into a golden lampstand. This is the church. If those in the church in Anaheim are merely several hundred individual units, we are finished. God does not desire hundreds of individual units of gold. He wants all the gold put together and beaten to form the lampstand. What a need there is for the building! If we have seen the building, we will never be individualistic. Rather, we would realize that whatever we gain or receive of the divine element is for the building of the lampstand. Because God’s desire is for the building, we have given message after message saying that we need God in Christ as our very substance that we might be built together. It is good to have a large quantity of gold and thereby to be rich in God. But are you still individualistic, or are you part of a corporate entity? We need the building

经历七灯作彰显

EXPERIENCING THE SEVEN LAMPS

AS THE EXPRESSION

10我们即使有了金子，也被锤在一起，建造成为一个灯台，我们还需要七灯，就是神的七灵，作为彰显。我们若没有神的七灵，就不能照耀彰显神。我们不论老少，都需要每天被神七倍的灵充满。甚么时候我们充满了神七倍的灵，我们就活了，并且发光。因著我们充满了神的七灵，我们就不会死沉或黑暗。我们充满了七倍加强的神圣之气，就不会像泄了气的轮胎，没有甚么能压制我们。因为我们满了神的灵，所以我们越被压抑，就弹得越高。我可以见证，越有困难临到，我越是高昂。许多次，有人劝我不要说到某些事，但我没法子不说，因为我被神的七灵充满了。有一次，人问我说，『为甚么你那么活泼、新鲜、常青？请告诉我你的秘诀。』我的秘诀就是我有那灵。

10Even though we may have the gold and are beaten together and are built into one as a lampstand, we still need the seven lamps, the seven Spirits of God as the expression. If we do not have the seven Spirits of God, we shall be unable to shine to express God. Whether we are young or old, we daily need to be filled with the sevenfold Spirit of God. Whenever we are filled with God’ss even fold Spirit, we are living and shining. Because we are filled with the seven Spirits of God, we cannot be dead or dim. Being filled with the sevenfold divine pneuma, we can never be like a flat tire. Nothing can suppress us. Because we are full of the Spirit of God, the more we are pressed down, the higher we bounce up. I can testify that the more difficulties I have, the higher I rise up. Many times, others have advised me not to say certain things, but I could not keep from speaking about them because of being filled with the seven Spirits of God. Someone once asked me this question: “Why are you so living, fresh, and evergreen? Please tell me your secret.” My secret is that I have the Spirit

11你不必怎样豫备自己要在聚会中尽功用。这样的尽功用不过是表演。尽功用就是简单作你所是的。有时候带头的弟兄们尽力鼓励圣徒们在祷告聚会中尽功用，但这些功用都不是真正的功用，乃是表演，因为圣徒并没有充满那灵，他们反而像泄了气的轮胎。他们在聚会之前就泄了气；但带领的弟兄们可能还勉强这些泄气的轮胎在祷告聚会中再跑几圈。这种活动不是出自充满在里面并内住的气，而是由于长老们的推动。一位弟兄或姊妹被迫尽功用以后，可能两个星期不能祷告。我从自己的经历可以见证这点。推动丝毫没有帮助。当轮胎泄了气，最好不要勉强牠多跑，因为越是多跑几圈，坏得越厉害。然而，我们没有一个人该作泄气的轮胎。我们必须充满了气。我们在三层天上有『加油站，』可以时常加属天之气。当我们充满了灵，就可以随时尽功用。这样的尽功用不是表演，乃是我们的生活。当我被灵充满，而满溢出来时，我就会主动、积极、年轻；我甚至可以对鬼讲道。要是魔鬼来到我跟前，我也会好好教训他。当我们在建造的召会里，被神七倍的灵充满，神这七倍的灵就要成为神在基督里的彰显。

11There is no need to prepare yourself to function in the meetings. If you do this, your function will be a performance. To function is simply to be what you are. Sometimes the leading brothers strongly encourage the saints to function in the prayer meetings. But all such functions are not genuine functions but performances, because the saints are not filled with the Spirit. Rather, they are deflated like flat tires. They are deflated before they come to the meeting. But the leading ones may still insist that these flat tires roll around a little in the prayer meeting. This kind of activity does not come from the infilling and indwelling pneuma but from the pushing of the elders. After a brother or sister has been forced to function, he may not pray for two weeks. I can testify of this from my experience. Pushing never helps. When a tire becomes flat, it is better not to roll it around, for the more you roll it, the more damaged it will become. However, none of us should be a flat tire. Instead, we must be filled with pneuma. We have a “station” in the third heaven, and we can always be filled with the heavenly pneuma. When we are filled with the Spirit, we can function at any time. This function is not a performance—it is our living. When I am filled and bubbling over with the Spirit, I am active, aggressive, and youthful. I can even deliver a message to the demons. If the Devil would come to me, I would give him a good teaching. When we all are filled with the sevenfold Spirit of God in the built-up church, this sevenfold Spirit of God will become the very expression of God in Christ

灯台的繁殖

the reproduction of the lampstand

12现在我们来到对灯台经历的第四方面─繁殖。不论在出埃及记或撒迦利亚书里，灯台只是单独一个。但在这本总结的书中，有七个灯台，表征七个地方召会。这指明出埃及记里灯台所表征的基督，和撒迦利亚书里灯台上的七灯所表征神的灵，不光是为著宇宙召会的产生，也是为著众地方召会的繁殖。一个灯台繁殖为七个灯台。所有的地方召会，如同许多的灯台，乃是基督和那灵这一个灯台的繁殖。批评者越是反对地方召会，地方召会繁殖得越多。反对不过是为更多的繁殖铺路。所以不要在意人的反对，只要顾到金的本质、建造和彰显。这三样越多，地方召会就越有繁殖。这繁殖是甚么？这实际上是基督这赐生命的灵奇妙的彰显，实际的得著了繁殖。这就是召会的繁殖。我快乐的说，我有确定的把握，这繁殖要为著主的回来铺路。藉著这繁殖，主要得著桥头堡，作为祂回来得著全地的立足之处。

12Now we come to the fourth aspect of the experience of the lampstand — the reproduction. Both in Exodus and Zechariah the lampstand was uniquely one. But in the book of consummation, there are seven lampstands signifying seven local churches. This indicates that Christ as signified by the lampstand in Exodus and the Spirit of God as signified by the seven lamps of the lampstand in Zechariah are not only for the production of the universal church, but also for the reproduction of the local churches. One lampstand is reproduced in the seven lampstands. All the local churches as the many lampstands are the reproduction of Christ and the Spirit as the one lampstand. The more the critics oppose the local churches, the more reproduction there will be. Opposition simply lays the tracks for further reproduction. Do not care about the opposition. Simply care for the substance, the building up, and the expression. The more we have of these three things, the more we shall see the reproduction. What is this reproduction? It is actually a multiplication of the wonderful expression of Christ as the life - giving Spirit in a practical way. This is the reproduction of the church. I am glad to say that I have the full assurance that this reproduction will pave the way for the Lord to come back. By means of this reproduction, the Lord will have a beachhead on which to place His feet for His coming back to possess the whole earth.