10. Becoming the New Jerusalem 成为新耶路撒冷

1) Q. I thought that the New Jerusalem is a city we are going to enter into. How do we become the New Jerusalem?
A. Eventually, the Triune, eternal God becomes the New Jerusalem incorporated with all of us. We do not enter into the New Jerusalem; we become the New Jerusalem. Our becoming is our entering in.
问:我曾以为新耶路撒冷是我们将要进入的城。我们怎么会成为新耶路撒冷呢?
答:至终,这位三一、永远的神成了与我们众人合并的新耶路撒冷。我们不是进入新耶路撒冷,我们乃是成为新耶路撒冷。我们的成为,就是我们的进入。


2) Q. According to the Bible, how would you summarize what the New Jerusalem is?
A. In the Bible, the writings of John cover the span from God to the New Jerusalem. The totality of the divine life is the New Jerusalem, which is the destination of the flowing Triune God.
问:根据圣经,你能总结一下新耶路撒冷是什么吗?
答:在圣经里,约翰的著作所涵盖的,是从神直到新耶路撒冷。神圣生命的总和乃是新耶路撒冷,就是这位涌流之三一神的目的地。


3) Q. How can the New Jerusalem be the destination of the flowing Triune God?
A. The Triune God flows into eternal life, and the eternal life has its totality. Our human life also has its totality. A living person is the totality of the human life.
问:新耶路撒冷如何能成为涌流之三一神的目的地?
答:三一神涌流成为永远的生命,而这永远的生命有其总和。我们属人的生命也有其总和;一个活的人,就是属人生命的总和。


4) Q. What verse in the Bible shows us that eternal life is the destination of the flowing Triune God?
A. In John 4:14b the Lord said, “The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life.” God the Father is the fountain, emerging in God the Son as a spring gushing up to be a river, signifying God the Spirit.
问:圣经哪处经节告诉我们永远的生命是涌流之三一神的目的地?
答:主在四章十四节下半说,“我所赐的水,要在他里面成为泉源,直涌入永远的生命。”父神是源,显在子神这泉里,涌流成为一道河,表征灵神。


5) Q. Are there any other reasons why the New Jerusalem is important?
A. The New Jerusalem is the embodiment of God’s complete salvation. God’s complete salvation is a composition of God’s righteousness as the base and God’s life as the consummation.
问:新耶路撒冷很重要,还有其他原因吗?
答:新耶路撒冷是神完整救恩的具体表现。神完整的救恩乃是神的义作根基,以及神的生命作总结的组成。


6) Q. In the Bible, how is the New Jerusalem described?
A. The foundation of the New Jerusalem consists of twelve layers of precious stones. Some Bible scholars have said that colors of the twelve layers of precious stones in the foundation of the New Jerusalem look like a rainbow.
问:在圣经里,怎样描绘新耶路撒冷?
答:新耶路撒冷的根基是十二层宝石。一些圣经学者指出,新耶路撒冷根基的十二层宝石,颜色就像彩虹。


7) Q. Why is the appearance of a rainbow important in the description of the New Jerusalem?
A. The rainbow is a sign that reminds us of God’s faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is based on His righteousness. The foundation of the New Jerusalem is the righteousness of God with God’s faithfulness.
问:新耶路撒冷的描绘中,有彩虹的外观为什么很重要呢?
答:彩虹是一个表号,题醒我们,神信守祂的话。神的信实是基于祂的义。新耶路撒冷的根基乃是神的义同着神的信实。


8) Q. What else does the Bible say about the New Jerusalem?
A. Also, within the New Jerusalem there is a river of life, which saturates the entire city. Life is the consummation of righteousness, and righteousness is the base, the foundation, of life.
问:关于新耶路撒冷,圣经还说了些什么?
答:此外,在新耶路撒冷里面有生命河,浸透了整座城。生命乃是义的总结,而义乃是生命的根基。


9) Q. Once Christians see that the New Jerusalem is God’s goal, what kind of work should they do?
A. We should do only one work, which is to make God’s chosen people regenerated, sanctified, renewed, transformed, conformed, and glorified ones-the new man. All those who will be in the New Jerusalem are this kind of people.
问:一旦基督徒看见新耶路撒冷是神的目标,他们就该作哪种工作?
答:我们只该作一个工作,就是把神所拣选的人作成重生的人,圣别的人,更新的人,变化的人,模成的人,荣化的人——就是新人。将来在新耶路撒冷的,都是这一种的人。


10) Q. As a Christian, why is it important that I take this way of becoming the New Jerusalem as my goal?
A. We need to take this way until we reach the highest point, where we become the same as God in life and in nature. At this point there is no more flesh and no more natural being. We all are in the Spirit and are beings in the New Jerusalem.
问:作为基督徒,我走这条路,就是以成为新耶路撒冷作我的目标,这为何如此重要呢?
答:我们需要走这条路,直到我们达到最高点就是大家都在生命和性情上与神一模一样。都没有肉体了,都没有天然了。都是在灵里,都是新耶路撒冷里的人。