Sister Emily Huang
Friday, 16th September 2022
Section One V1-5 Look Up and Behold
V1 ‘After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”’ John saw the heaven open because he was looking up. Today God will also reveal His revelation to us but we have to look up. It’s so easy for us just to look at the things happening around round us, the things right in front of us, and the things that matter the most to us at the moment. But we fail to look up to God. What God reveals to us about the future seem very vague to us, we do not know how it will affect our lives right now and we do not pay attention to it.
V2 ‘Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.’ We must learn to behold, to have an attitude to simply look upon God, to see this open heaven and the open door, which God opens for us, and no one can close. Let us be willing to receive it with a thanksgiving heart. Our future is in God’s hands, we do not need to be afraid and we do not need to worry, only by looking up to God and following His Spirit, then we can hear His voice and His heartbeat.
V3 ‘And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.’ In the presence of God, He reveals His glory and authority, and nothing matters anymore. The world continues to give us false hope, people continue to let us down, but when we see God’s glory then we will not need to worry about what is yet to come. Let us see what God sees and stop seeing what is just in front of us, such as challenges and troubles in our lives. Because only God sits enthroned, not us! We should not only seek our desires to be fulfilled but seek the Will of God be done.
V4-5 ‘Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.’ No matter what or who the ‘twenty-four thrones’ represents, God’s Will is for us to sit enthrone with Him, and to receive glory together with Him.
Section Two V6-11 Humble and Worship
V6-7 ‘Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.’ No matter what the four creatures mean to us, we can see that they were full of power and authority, and they were worshipping God and praising God, day and night.
V8 ‘The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ He is the Lord God Almighty, He has the answers to all our questions, so stop seeking solutions from our knowledge or past experiences but come to Him first. Because even the mighty creatures worshipped God, therefore we should also come to Him and seek Him in front of the throne.
V9-11 ‘Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’ The living creatures and the twenty-four elders were all victors, but they were willing to lay down their crowns before the throne, and to give glory to God.
Only God is worthy, and today are we also willing to cast our crowns before His throne? All the things that are important to us, all our wants and needs, all our authority and power, all our duties and responsibilities… let us give them all to God, and we can then receive this open heaven, with the key of David and the key of the Kingdom that have been given to us.
启示录 4 – 进入神的荣耀
2022年9月16日 星期五
Emily 姐妹
一、v.1-5 要举目仰望
V1: 在听到神对那七间教会 – 其实也是众教会 – 说话的时候，老约翰本已扑倒在耶稣面前，如今他能观看到神启示他在天上的事，必定需要抬头仰望，就好像约翰福音17章讲到的耶稣在向父神祷告时是“举目望天”的。神要给我们看到他的异象、启示，我们是否愿意有举目仰望的态度？启示录好像很难懂，因为就像这里说的是“以后必成的事”，还没发生，怎么会明白。就像耶稣当年跟门徒讲自己要怎样死和复活，但是门徒都不明白。人很容易去关注现在所面临的问题，看见经文或者来教会听牧者讲道就想这些对我们眼前的事情有什么帮助，如果不明白就不当一回事，把神放在一边，继续我行我素。我们的头脑被现实生活的事所充满，所以没有精力再去明白圣经或牧者的讲道告诉我们将来要发生的事，即使愿意去思想，我们也只想要进入一个赶快解决事情的模式。今天这里告诉我们要举目仰望，不要这么快跳进事情里面，而是要在做事前先来仰望、亲近耶稣。神借着经文和权柄的教导要告诉我们许多又大又难的事，但在讲这些事情之前，神先让我们进入他的门，看见他的荣耀。我们可能会担心将来牧师师母回来了是不是要做更多的事情，自己的家庭、工作怎么办？我们不要去担心这些，而是先去贴近神的心意，因为我们的未来都在神的手上。
V2: “被圣灵感动”就是在灵里面，我们才能听见神的声音，感受神的心跳。
V3-5: 神的宝座是荣美的，因为是神在宝座上作王掌权。我们可能看到在现实的世界、家庭、教会、或者个人生活中有很多问题没有突破，于是对神有怀疑，也不愿意继续委身，因为我们没有真正看见只有这位神是坐在宝座上，他依然在我们的工作，生活，家庭上掌权。我们看见的只是神要给我们想要的东西，只想自己坐在宝座上成就自己的意思，所以看不见神的荣耀，忘了耶稣基督才是我们所需要仰望的主。在神的宝座周围还有二十四个长老的座位，正如第3章经文最后耶稣所说，神愿意我们得胜，在宝座上与他同坐，同享荣耀。
二、v.6-11 要谦卑敬拜
V6-8: 宝座中和周围的四活物“各有六个翅膀，遍体内外都满了眼睛”，这些活物可能代表了神大能掌权的属性，他们所看到的是神是“昔在、今在、以后永在的全能者”。我们看见的是什么呢？可能是自己很有能力，有学历，有经验，遇到问题就很容易从过去的经历中找到解决方法。四活物看上去这么厉害，但还是“昼夜不住”敬拜赞美神。我们只有两只手、两只眼睛，为什么不先谦卑寻求神呢？
V9-11: 我们今天能不能像四活物和二十四位长老一样把我们自己看为好的冠冕去交给神，真正将荣耀归给他呢？我们今天是不是愿意看见神是万物的创造者？很多时候我们只想倚靠