第四十五週 得勝之初熟果子所跟隨的羔羊
讀經：啟十四1～5，創五22～24，來十一5～6，太二四45～51
【週一、週二】
壹 啟示錄十四章一至五節啟示，基督是得勝之初熟果子所跟隨的羔羊：
一 初熟的果子乃是活著的得勝者，他們在神的田地裏是初熟的；因此他們要在莊稼收割以先被收割，作初熟的果子歸與神和羔羊：
1 初熟的果子要被提到天上的錫安山，到第三層天神的居所那裏，得以在神與基督面前。
2 被提的意思就是被接到主的同在裏；我們要被接到主的同在裏，今天就必須是在祂的同在裏—路二一36，林後二10，何六2，提後四8，徒二六16。
3 被提是為著擊敗仇敵，並使神滿足；主固然需要男孩子與祂的仇敵爭戰，但祂更需要初熟的果子作祂的滿足和享受—啟十二5，十四1，4下。
二 聖經啟示被提的兩面：得勝者在大災難之前被提，以及大體信徒在大災難末了被提—太二四40～41，路二一36，啟三10，帖前四15～17，啟十二5，十四1。
三 在利未記二十三章十節，我們看到被提的豫表，就是田裏農作物成熟的豫表—太十三24，啟十四14～16：
1 收割神的農作物，我們稱之為被提；這收割指明信徒要從地上被取去—太十三30，39下。
2 一部分農作物—初熟的果子—成熟在先，就先收割；其餘部分的農作物—莊稼—成熟較晚，就後收割。
3 根據啟示錄十四章，有兩種的被提，就是初熟果子的被提和莊稼的被提—4節下，14～16節。
四 初熟的果子是被提到錫安神的家中，作神新鮮的享受；這是為著神的滿足—出二三19上，利二三10，參約二十17上。
五 初熟的果子額上都寫著羔羊的名和祂父的名，表明他們與羔羊和父是一，屬於羔羊和父—啟十四1下。
六 初熟的果子是神農作物中最早成熟的一批—來五14～六1，林前二6，弗四13，腓三15：
1 變化乃是在我們天然生命裏有改變；成熟乃是被那改變我們的神聖生命所充滿—羅十二2，弗三19下。
2 要作神的彰顯就需要成熟；惟有成熟的生命能有神的形像並施行祂的管治—創一26，羅五10，17，21。
【週三、週四】
貳 我們要跟隨羔羊並往前達到成熟，成為初熟的果子，就必須憑信與神同行，以逃避死亡並得著蒙神喜悅的見證：
一 逃避死亡並得著蒙神喜悅之見證的路，乃是與神同行—創五22～24，來十一5～6：
1 與神同行就是不越過神，不自以為是，不照著自己的觀念和願望行事，不照著今世的潮流行事，也不在神以外作任何事—參詩十九12～13，書九14下，路二四15。
2 與神同行乃是以神為我們的中心和一切，生活行事照著神並同著神、照著祂的啟示和引導，而與祂同作一切事—羅八4，13～14，加二2上，林後五14～15。
3 與神同行的意思是我們生活不憑自己所是的或所能作的，乃憑不朽壞的生命，就是基督自己—4，9節。
4 與神同行就是習慣的與神交通，不斷的接觸主，並在祂不斷的注入之下—約壹一3，腓四6，林後三16，18。
5 與神同行乃是不斷的操練我們的靈，享受可稱頌的神聖三一—猶14，19～21。
6 與神同行含示否認己並否認出於己的一切，使我們能與祂是一；這含示我們把自己交給祂，並願意降服於祂，讓祂引導—太十六24～25，林後二13～14。
二 與神同行乃是憑信行事為人—五7，來十一5～6：
1 信就是信神是—1～2，6節，林後四13，18：
ａ 人非有信，就不能得神的喜悅，不能使神快樂—來十一6上。
ｂ 信神是，就是信祂是我們的一切，而我們一無所是—約八58，傳一2。
ｃ 信神是，含示我們不是；祂必須在凡事上是惟一的一位，獨一的一位，我們必須在凡事上甚麼也不是—創五24，來十一5。
ｄ 信神是，就是否認我們的己；在全宇宙中祂是，我們眾人甚麼也不是—路九23。
ｅ 我應當甚麼都不是；我應當不存在；惟獨祂應當存在—不再是我，乃是基督—加二20。
ｆ 大數的掃羅悔改信主時，主告訴他說，『我就是…耶穌』—徒九5：
（一） 主的意思乃是說，『我是那偉大的我是；我是那是的一位；你必須信我是，你不是。』
（二） 至終，掃羅了結了，保羅出現了—十三9。
ｇ 這就是信—『哦，何等喜樂，能彀一無所有，一無所是，一無所見，惟見在榮耀裏活的基督！並且一無所顧，惟顧祂在此地的權益』—達祕（J. N. Darby）。
2 信的意思乃是我們信神賞賜那尋求（尋找出）祂的人—來十一6，創十五1，腓三8，14：
ａ 以諾的賞賜，乃是生命最高的程度—逃避了死—來十一5上，林後五4，羅八6，10～11，五17。
ｂ 主是賞賜者，我們需要成為尋求主的人—詩二七4，8，四二1～2，四三4，七三25，一一九2，10。
三 以諾作為第一個被提的人，乃是一切活著被提之得勝者的代表—太二四37～51，啟十四1，路二一34～36：
1 我們被提是在於我們與神同行，而在神聖的生命裏成熟—來六1上。
2 以諾與神同行三百年，晝夜不斷上行，每天更接近神，更與神是一，直到『神將他取去，他就不在世〔直譯，不是〕了』—創五24，參歌八5上。
【週 五】
參 我們要跟隨羔羊並往前達到成熟，成為初熟的果子，就必須在主的使命上忠信服事，將神當作糧食分給祂的家人，使我們在要來的國度裏，贏得基督作我們的賞賜—太二四45～51：
一 神有一個家庭和家庭的行政，經綸，要將祂自己當作糧食分賜給祂的家人，使祂得著彰顯—提前一4，三15，弗二19。
二 神已經立了忠信精明的奴僕作管理祂家的家庭管理者、管家、供應的管道，好按時分糧給祂的子民—太二四45，林前九17，弗三2，林前四1，彼前四10，腓一25。
三 『分糧給他們』，是指在召會裏，將神的話和基督當作生命的供應，供應給信徒；作為賜生命之靈的基督是我們的糧食，具體化並實化在生命的話裏—約六57，63，68，徒五20：
1 我們要享受主作我們屬靈的糧食，使我們能餧養別人，就必須禱告並默想祂的話，藉著仔細揣摩而品嘗、享受這話—弗六17～18，詩一一九15，結三1～4。
2 我們必須專心禱告，並盡話語的職事—徒六4，林後三6，8，約七37～39，參來七25，八2。
【週 六】
四 我們心裏說，我們的主人必來得遲，這乃是愛現今邪惡的世代，不愛主的顯現—太二四48，提後四8，10，參徒二六16：
1 我們必須提防貪婪，不為自己積財，卻要對神富足—路十二15～20，林後六10，弗三8。
2 『你們要回想羅得的妻子』，這對貪愛世界的信徒是個嚴肅的警告—路十七31～32，參羅一21，25。
3 我們必須儆醒並祈求，叫主來臨的那日子不致如同網羅忽然臨到我們—路二一34～36，參太二3。
五 動手打那些和我們同作奴僕的，乃是虐待作我們同伴的信徒—二四49上，十八3～7，徒九4：
1 我們不該審判、定罪作我們同伴的信徒，乃要以恩慈待他們，心存慈憐，饒恕他們，如同神在基督裏饒恕了我們一樣—路六37，弗四31～32。
2 我們不可辱罵或批評我們的弟兄，乃要看他們比我們強—林前六10，腓二2～3，29：
ａ 辱罵弟兄，就是用侮辱性的語言，粗魯的批評他或貶低他。
ｂ 聽毀謗的話，與說毀謗的話一樣要負責任；這樣的話破壞基督的身體。
ｃ 神絕不將權柄信託給那些本性就喜歡批評別人的人。
3 我們不可作主轄管作我們同伴的信徒，乃要作奴僕服事他們，以復活的基督這賜生命的靈餧養他們—彼前五3，太二十25～28：
ａ 作主轄管聖徒，意思是在聖徒的生活上取代主，為他們作決定，或告訴他們搬去那裏，因而干犯基督的元首身分和主權。
ｂ 我們若告訴別人他們該去那裏，卻沒有鼓勵他們去禱告尋求主的引導，在身體裏有合式的交通，這對主乃是極大的悔辱！
六 和酒醉的人一同喫喝，乃是與沉醉在屬世事物裏的世人為伴—太二四49下，參弗五18：
1 因著信徒神聖的性情和聖別的地位，他們不該跟不信者同負一軛；這不只該應用在信徒與不信者之間的婚姻和事業上，也該應用在他們各種親密的關係上—林後六14，林前十五33，參箴十三20。
2 我們必須逃避青年人的私慾，同那清心呼求主的人，竭力追求包羅萬有的基督—提後二22。
Week Nine
The Lamb Whom the Overcoming Firstfruits Follow
Hymns: E1304
Scripture Reading: Rev. 14:1-5; Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5-6; Matt. 24:45-51
§ Day 1 & Day 2
I. Revelation 14:1-5 reveals Christ as the Lamb whom the overcoming firstfruits follow:
A. The firstfruits are the living overcomers, who will be the first ripe ones in Gods field; hence, they will be reaped before the harvest as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb:
1. The firstfruits will be caught up to the heavenly Mount Zion, to the place of Gods
dwelling in the third heaven, in order to be in the presence of God and Christ.
2. The meaning of rapture is to be taken into the Lords presence; in order to be taken into the Lords presence, we must be in His presence today—Luke 21:36; 2 Cor. 2:10; Hosea 6:2; 2 Tim. 4:8; Acts 26:16.
3. The rapture is for defeating the enemy and satisfying God; the Lord needs the man-child to fight against His enemy, but He needs the firstfruits even more for His satisfaction and enjoyment—Rev. 12:5; 14:1, 4b.
B. The Bible reveals two aspects of the rapture: the rapture of the overcomers before the great tribulation and the rapture of the majority of the believers at the end of the great tribulation—Matt. 24:40-41; Luke 21:36; Rev. 3:10; 1 Thes. 4:15-17; Rev. 12:5; 14:1.
C. In Leviticus 23:10 we see a type of the rapture—the type of the crop ripening in the field—Matt. 13:24; Rev. 14:14-16:
1. The reaping of Gods crop is what we call the rapture; this reaping indicates that the believers will be taken away from the earth—Matt. 13:30, 39b.
2. Part of the crop—the firstfruits—ripens earlier and is reaped earlier; the rest of the crop—the harvest—ripens later and is reaped later.
3. According to Revelation 14, there are two kinds of rapture—the rapture of the firstfruits and the rapture of the harvest—vv. 4b, 14-16.
D. The firstfruits are raptured to the house of God in Zion as the fresh enjoyment to God; this is for Gods satisfaction—Exo. 23:19a; Lev. 23:10; cf. John 20:17a.
E. The firstfruits have the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father written on their foreheads; this is the designation of their being one with the Lamb and with the Father and of their belonging to Them—Rev. 14:1b.
F. The firstfruits are the earliest among Gods crop to reach maturity—Heb. 5:14—6:1; 1 Cor. 2:6; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:15:
1. To be transformed is to be changed in our natural life; to be matured is to be filled with the divine life that changes us—Rom. 12:2; Eph. 3:19b.
2. For Gods expression there is the need of maturity; only a mature life can bear Gods image and exercise His dominion—Gen. 1:26; Rom. 5:10, 17, 21.
§ Day 3 & Day 4
II. In order for us to follow the Lamb and go on to maturity to become the firstfruits, we must walk with God by faith to escape death and obtain the testimony of being well pleasing to God:
A. The way to escape death and obtain the testimony of being well pleasing to God is to walk with God—Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5-6:
1. To walk with God is not to override God, not to be presumptuous, not to do things according to our own concept and desire, not to do things according to the current of the age, and not to do anything without God—cf. Psa. 19:12-13; Josh. 9:14b; Luke 24:15.
2. To walk with God is to take Him as our center and everything, to live and do things according to God and with God, according to His revelation and leading, and to do everything with Him—Rom. 8:4, 13-14; Gal. 2:2a; 2 Cor. 5:14-15.
3. To walk with God means that we do not live by what we are or can do but by the immortal life, which is Christ Himself—vv. 4, 9.
4. To walk with God is to have habitual fellowship with God, to be in constant touch with the Lord, and to be under His constant infusion—1 John 1:3; Phil. 4:6; 2 Cor. 3:16, 18.
5. To walk with God is to continually exercise our spirit to enjoy the Blessed Trinity—Jude 14, 19-21.
6. To walk with God implies the denying of our self and everything that is of our self so that we may be one with Him; it implies that we have given ourselves to Him, that we will give in to Him and let Him take the lead—Matt. 16:24-25; 2 Cor. 2:13-14.
B. To walk with God is to walk by faith—5:7; Heb. 11:5-6:
1. Faith means that we believe that God is—vv. 1-2, 6; 2 Cor. 4:13, 18:
a. Without faith it is impossible to please God, to make God happy— Heb. 11:6a.
b. To believe that God is, is to believe that He is everything to us and that we are nothing—John 8:58; Eccl. 1:2.
c. To believe that God is implies that we are not; He must be the only One, the unique One, in everything, and we must be nothing in everything—Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5.
d. To believe that God is, is to deny our self; in the whole universe He is, and all of us are nothing—Luke 9:23.
e. I should not be anything; I should not exist; only He should exist—it is no longer I, but Christ—Gal. 2:20.
f. At his conversion the Lord told Saul of Tarsus, "I am Jesus"—Acts 9:5:
⑴ The Lord was saying, "I am the great I Am; I am the One who is; you must believe that I am and that you are not."
⑵ Eventually, Saul was over, and Paul came up—13:9.
g. This is faith—"O the joy of having nothing and being nothing, seeing nothing but a living Christ in glory, and being careful for nothing but His interests down here"—J. N. Darby.
2. Faith means that we believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him—Heb. 11:6; Gen. 15:1; Phil. 3:8, 14:
a. Enochs reward was the highest degree of life—escape from death— Heb. 11:5a; 2 Cor. 5:4; Rom. 8:6, 10-11; 5:17.
b. The Lord is a rewarder, and we need to be His seekers—Psa. 27:4, 8; 42:1-2; 43:4; 73:25; 119:2, 10.
C. Enoch, as the first person to be raptured, is the representative of all the overcomers who will be raptured while they are living—Matt. 24:37-51; Rev. 14:1; Luke 21:34-36:
1. Our being raptured depends on our being mature in the divine life by our walking with God—Heb. 6:1a.
2. Enoch continually walked upward with God day and night for three centuries, becoming closer to God and more one with God each day until "he was not, for God took him"—Gen. 5:24; cf. S. S. 8:5a.
§ Day 5
III. In order for us to follow the Lamb and go on to maturity to become the firstfruits, we must be faithful in service in the Lords commission to give God as food to the members of His household so that we may win Christ as our reward in the coming kingdom—Matt. 24:45-51:
A. God has a household and a household administration, an economy, to dispense Himself as food to the members of His household for His expression—1 Tim. 1:4; 3:15; Eph. 2:19.
B. God has set faithful and prudent slaves over His household as household administrators, stewards, channels of supply, to give His people food at the proper time—Matt. 24:45; 1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:10; Phil. 1:25.
C. Give them food refers to ministering the word of God and Christ as the life supply to the believers in the church; Christ as the life-giving Spirit is our food, embodied and realized in the word of life—John 6:57, 63, 68; Acts 5:20:
1. In order to enjoy the Lord as our spiritual food so that we can feed others, we must pray over and muse on His word, tasting and enjoying it through careful considering—Eph. 6:17-18; Psa. 119:15; Ezek. 3:1-4.
2. We must devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word—Acts 6:4; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8; John 7:37-39; cf. Heb. 7:25; 8:2.
§ Day 6
D. To say in our heart that our Master delays is to love the present evil age and not to love the Lords appearing—Matt. 24:48; 2 Tim. 4:8, 10; cf. Acts 26:16:
1. We must beware of covetousness, not storing up treasure for ourselves but being rich toward God—Luke 12:15-20; 2 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 3:8.
2. "Remember Lots wife" is a solemn warning to the world-loving believers— Luke 17:31-32; cf. Rom. 1:21, 25.
3. We must be watchful and beseeching so that the day of the Lords coming would not come upon us suddenly as a snare—Luke 21:34-36; cf. Matt. 2:3.
E. To beat our fellow slaves is to mistreat our fellow believers—24:49a; 18:3-7; Acts 9:4:
1. We must not judge and condemn our fellow believers but be kind to them, tenderhearted, forgiving them, even as God in Christ forgave us—Luke 6:37; Eph. 4:31-32.
2. We must not revile or criticize our brothers but consider them more excellent than ourselves—1 Cor. 6:10; Phil. 2:2-3, 29:
a. To revile a brother is to criticize or demean him harshly with abusive language—cf. Luke 17:2.
b. Those who take in reviling words bear the same responsibility as those who speak reviling words; such words damage the Body.
c. God will never entrust authority to those who by nature like to criticize others.
3. We must not lord it over our fellow believers but serve them as a slave to feed them with the resurrected Christ as the life-giving Spirit—1 Pet. 5:3; Matt. 20:25-28:
a. For one to lord it over the saints means that he replaces the Lord in their lives by making decisions for them or by telling them where to move, thus, insulting the headship and lordship of Christ.
b. If we tell others where they should go without encouraging them to pray, seek the Lords leading, and have the proper fellowship in the Body, this is a great insult to the Lord!
F. To eat and drink with the drunken is to keep company with worldly people, who are drunk with worldly things—24:49b; cf. Eph. 5:18:
1. Because of their divine nature and holy standing, the believers should not be yoked together with the unbelievers; this should be applied to all intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers, not only to marriage and business—2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 15:33; cf. Prov. 13:20.
2. We must flee youthful lusts and pursue the all-inclusive Christ with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart—2 Tim. 2:22.
