“你到里来,我要将新妇,就是羔羊的妻,指给你看。” – 启 21:9
在神赐给使徒约翰的异象中,我们被邀请享受“新娘,羔羊之妻”的荣耀。荣耀的教会是基督的新娘(又见启 19:5-9;弗 5:21-33)。约翰看到新娘时,他看到了神的荣耀。上帝的一切荣耀都在她身上。她极其华美。教会是神救赎的子民,他们曾是罪的奴仆,现在得自由了。基督爱教会。祂为神的百姓舍己,以自己的生命为代价,使他们成圣。
基督装饰了教会,使之成为荣耀的、毫无瑕疵的,并献给祂自己。祂对教会的爱是永恒的。正如新郎因祂的新娘而欢喜,基督也因教会——就是羔羊的新妇而欢喜,现在她已经预备好了,装饰好了,成为圣洁,预备迎接新郎。
那将是主荣耀的日子,那时基督将带着能力和荣耀来与祂的新娘——神所救赎的子民——一起同住。他们必从地的四极被聚集。教会将参加救恩的盛宴。我们将在一个永不结束的盛宴中庆祝羔羊的婚礼!
祷告
父啊,你的教会是羔羊的新妇,基督为她舍己。我也要更多爱她,尽量少批评她。赐我恩典,使我为你的新娘增添荣美。奉耶稣的名,阿们。
启示录 21:9-14
9拿着七个金碗,盛满末后七灾的七位天使中,有一位来对我说:“你到这里来,我要将新妇,就是羔羊的妻,指给你看。”
10我被圣灵感动,天使就带我到一座高大的山,将那由神那里、从天而降的圣城耶路撒冷指示我。
11城中有神的荣耀,城的光辉如同极贵的宝石,好像碧玉,明如水晶。
12有高大的墙,有十二个门,门上有十二位天使,门上又写着以色列十二个支派的名字。
13东边有三门,北边有三门,南边有三门,西边有三门。
14城墙有十二根基,根基上有羔羊十二使徒的名字。
The Wife Of The Lamb
“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” – Revelation 21:9
In this vision that God gave to the apostle John, we are invited to take in the glory of “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” The glorified church is the bride of Christ (see also Revelation 19:5-9; Ephesians 5:21-33). When John sees the bride, he sees in her the glory of God. All the splendors of God adorn her. She is glorious. The church is the ransomed people of God who were slaves to sin and now are set free. Christ loves the church. He gave himself for all God’s people and sanctified them through the gift of his life.
Christ adorned the church to present it to himself as glorious, unblemished. His love for the church is everlasting. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so Christ rejoices over the church, the bride of the Lamb, which is now being prepared, adorned, and sanctified to meet the bridegroom.
That will be the glorious day of the Lord, when Christ will come with power and glory to live with his bride, the redeemed people of God. They will be gathered from the four corners of the earth. The church will join in the banquet of salvation. And the marriage of the Lamb will be celebrated in a feast that will never end!
Prayer
Father, your church is the bride of the Lamb, for whom Christ gave himself up. I need to love her more and criticize her less. Give me grace to contribute to the beauty of your bride. In Jesus, Amen.