第二十一章

1 我又看見一個新天新地；因為先前的天地已經過去了，海也不再有了。2 我又看見聖城新耶路撒冷由神那裏從天而降，預備好了，就如新婦妝飾整齊，等候丈夫。3 我聽見有大聲音從寶座出來說：「看哪，神的帳幕在人間。他要與人同住，他們要作他的子民。神要親自與他們同在，作他們的神。4 神要擦去他們一切的眼淚；不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭號、疼痛，因為以前的事都過去了。」5 坐寶座的說：「看哪，我將一切都更新了！」又說：「你要寫上；因這些話是可信的，是真實的。」6 他又對我說：「都成了！我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛；我是初，我是終。我要將生命泉的水白白賜給那口渴的人喝。7 得勝的，必承受這些為業：我要作他的神，他要作我的兒子。8 惟有膽怯的、不信的、可憎的、殺人的、淫亂的、行邪術的、拜偶像的，和一切說謊話的，他們的分就在燒著硫磺的火湖裏；這是第二次的死。」

默想：

1. 閉上眼睛，想像新耶路撒冷的景象，驚嘆它的榮耀華美，就算我仍覺得難以相信，憑信心感謝神的應許。求神幫助我的信心。
2. 慢慢地讀下面這首翻譯的詩歌歌詞，體會並感受主再來的奇妙、能力、盼望。當知道有個地方「不用日月光照；因有神的榮耀光照，又有羔羊為城的燈」（23節）為我預備的，我對將來的盼望會有怎樣的改變？

永恒的主題：天地都要廢去，這不是夢想，神將在那日使萬事更新。使我失足跌倒的咒詛已不再有，邪惡被逐至永恒的地獄。不再有夜晚，不再有痛苦，不再有眼淚，也不再哭泣。讚美那位偉大的“自有永有”,我們將活在復活羔羊的光中。

環望周圍，萬國都跪下歌頌，唯一的響聲就是對基督—我們君王的稱頌。緩慢地，生命冊上的名字一個個被讀出來，我認識君王，所以不需害怕。不再有夜晚，不再有痛苦，不再有眼淚，也不再哭泣。讚美那位偉大的“自有永有”，我們將活在復活羔羊的光中。

你看那邊，有棟房子，喔，是為我預備的，我將在那兒與我的救主永遠同在。不再有夜晚，不再有痛苦，不再有眼淚，也不再哭泣。讚美那位偉大的“自有永有”，我們將活在復活羔羊的光中。讚美那位偉大的“自有永有”，我們將活在復活羔羊的光中。

（不再有夜晚No More Night」 Words & music by Walt Harrah www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vX3HHtytDo&feature=related）

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。

 

Chapter 21

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Meditation

1. Close eyes and visualize the glories of the New Jerusalem.  Marvel at it as you thank God for the promise. Even if I still struggle to believe, ask God to help me hope in it.
2. Read slowly the lyrics of this song.  Try to feel the wonder, power and hope of Christ’s second coming.  What might be different in me (even if it’s just the tiniest shift in perspective), knowing that a place “the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (v23) waits for me?

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away.  It’s not a dream, God will make all things new that day.  Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell.  Evil is banished to eternal hell.  No more night. No more pain.  No more tears.   Never crying again. And praises to the great “I AM.”  We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See all around,now the nations bow down to sing.  The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King. Slowly the names from the book are read.   I know the King, so there’s no need to dread.  No more night.   No more pain.  No more tears.   Never crying again.  And praises to the great “I AM.”  We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See over there, there’s a mansion, oh, that’s prepared just for me,  Where I will live with my savior eternally.No more night.   No more pain.  No more tears.   Never crying again. And praises to the great “I AM.”  We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

  (No More Night, Words & music by Walt Harrah www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vX3HHtytDo&feature=related)

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.