第四十八週 基督要來施行賞罰，照在暗處的燈，以及基督要像晨星暗中向祂的得勝者顯現
讀經：啟二二12，16，彼後一19
【週一、週二】
壹 『看哪，我必快來！賞罰在我，我要照各人所行的報應他』—啟二二12：
一 『我必快來』，（三11，二二7，）這是主再三的警告，叫我們重看在祂回來時的賞罰。
二 當主回來，信徒被提之後，各人都要在基督審判臺前接受賞罰—林後五10，林前四5，羅十四10，太十六27。
三 啟示錄二十二章十二節的『賞罰』，原文意，『工價』。
四 當主再來得著國度的時候，祂要賞賜或責罰一切屬祂的人：
1 有些人要受祂的責罰，因為主的話說『賞罰在我』，含示不只有賞，也有罰。
2 與此一致的，在啟示錄二十二章七節主宣告說，『我必快來！凡遵守這書上豫言之話的有福了。』
3 凡遵守啟示錄豫言之話的人有福了，因為他要得賞賜。
4 當那日，我們所得的賞賜，與我們今天的態度很有關係：
ａ 林前三章八節說，我們要照自己的勞苦，得自己的賞賜。
ｂ 主耶穌在馬太十六章二十七節說，當祂回來時，祂要照我們的行為報應我們。
五 永遠的救恩與我們的行為無關，但國度的賞賜，卻完全是照我們得救以後憑主生命而有的行為。
六 每一個得救的人，都要在基督的審判臺前顯露出來，好叫各人按著本身所行的，或善或惡，受到應得的報應；行善的要得賞賜，作惡的要受責罰—林後五10。
七 我們都要站在審判臺前，把我們過去的生活、行事、為人，統統向主交賬；正是為這緣故，即使是使徒保羅都說，他不敢察驗自己，但察驗他的乃是主—林前四3～4。
八 我們得救之後怎樣事奉主，怎樣為主作工，乃是個大的問題。
九 保羅說，『人在那根基上所建造的工程若存得住，他就要得賞賜』—三14。
十 主回來時，會有一個審判；在那個審判裏，祂要決定我們得賞賜或受懲罰。
十一 這個賞罰要決定於基督的審判臺：『我們眾人，必要在基督的審判臺前顯露出來，叫各人按著本身所行的，或善或惡，受到應得的報應』—林後五10。
【週三、週四】
貳 『我們…有申言者更確定的話，你們留意這話，如同留意照在暗處的燈，直等到天發亮，晨星在你們心裏出現，你們就作得好了』—彼後一19：
一 彼得把經上豫言的話比作照在暗處的燈：
1 這指明今世乃是黑夜裏的暗處，（羅十三12，）這世上的人都是在黑暗裏行走、活動。
2 經上申言者的話猶如信徒的明燈，傳輸屬靈的光（不僅供人心思理解的字句知識），照耀在他們的黑暗裏，引導他們進入光明的白晝，甚至經過黑夜，直到主顯現的那日，天發亮的時候。
3 在主這陽光顯出以前，我們需要祂話的光，照耀我們的腳步。
二 『天發亮』（彼後一19）是隱喻，說明滿了亮光的時候即將來到，如同晴天破曉，有晨星於黎明前在那些蒙光照的信徒心裏出現，這些信徒藉著留意經上照亮人的豫言之話，得了光照而被照明：
1 在背道的時期，信徒留意這事，就作得好，使申言者的話如同明燈，照透背道的黑暗，直等到天這樣向他們發亮。
2 這促使並鼓勵他們切切尋求主的同在，並且儆醒，使他們當主在祂來臨（巴路西亞）的隱密部分，像賊一樣來到時，不至於見不到主。
3 這隱喻必是將來世，國度時代，比作那要在主顯現（來臨）時（16）發亮的天；那時主是公義的日頭，（瑪四2，）祂的光要照耀出來，衝破今世黑夜的幽暗。
4 在這之前，主要在黑夜最深時，像晨星一樣，（啟二28，二二16，）向那些儆醒渴望祂可愛顯現的人顯現。（提後四8。）
5 他們因著申言者之話的照耀蒙了光照，這話能把他們引到那要發亮的天。
6 聖經如燈照在暗處的話，我們若留意，會叫我們在基督作晨星實際顯出前，就得著祂在我們心裏出現，照耀在我們所處之背道的黑暗中。
【週五、週六】
參 『我是大衛的根，又是他的後裔，我是明亮的晨星』—啟二二16下：
一 由天上光體所象徵的基督，乃是明亮的晨星—16節下。
二 基督再來時，對祂的百姓，是升起的日頭，（瑪四2，）這是一般的；但對儆醒愛祂的人，乃是晨星，這是特別的。
三 晨星將是得勝者的賞賜：『我又要把晨星賜給他』—啟二28。
四 基督是大衛的根，也是大衛的後裔，與以色列人和國度有關；祂是明亮的晨星，與召會和被提有關。
五 晨星是在黎明前最黑暗的時刻前出現。
六 大災難就是這最黑暗的時候，隨後，國度的白晝就要破曉；這指明基督要在這世代臨近結束前，在最黑暗的時候，出現如明亮的晨星。
七 在國度裏，主要像日頭，公開向祂的百姓顯現；但在大災難之前，祂要像晨星，暗中向祂的得勝者顯現，將他們提走。
八 明亮的晨星，只向儆醒的人顯現。
九 鬆懶的信徒將看不見晨星；他們只能看見在普通一面作日頭的基督。
十 儆醒的人將優先嘗到祂久離再臨之同在的新鮮。
十一 整本聖經結束於我們對主再來的渴望發表成為禱告。
十二 使徒約翰在啟示錄二十二章二十節的禱告，乃是聖經中最後的禱告。
十三 『見證這些事的說，是的，我必快來！阿們。主耶穌阿，我願你來！』—20節。
Week Twelve
Christ Coming with Reward and Punishment, a Lamp Shining in a Dark Place, and Christ Appearing Privately to His Overcomers as the Morning Star
Hymns: E960
Scripture Reading: Rev. 22:12, 16; 2 Pet. 1:19
§ Day 1 & Day 2
I. "Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me to render to each one as his work is"—Rev. 22:12:
A. The Lord repeats His warning, "I come quickly" (3:11; 22:7), so that we will consider His reward, to be rendered at His coming back.
B. At the Lords coming, this reward will be rendered to each one of the believers, after their rapture, at the judgment seat of Christ—2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 4:5; Rom. 14:10; Matt. 16:27.
C. The Greek word translated "reward" in Revelation 22:12 means "wages."
D. When the Lord Jesus comes again to possess the kingdom, He will reward or punish all those who belong to Him:
1. Some will receive His punishment because the Lords word "My reward is with Me" implies that there is not only reward but also punishment.
2. In keeping with this, in Revelation 22:7 the Lord declared, "I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this scroll."
3. He who keeps the words of the prophecy of Revelation is blessed because he will be rewarded.
4. The reward we receive on that day has much to do with our attitude today:
a. First Corinthians 3:8 says that we will be rewarded according to our labor.
b. In Matthew 16:27 the Lord Jesus said that at His coming back He will reward us according to our doings.
E. Eternal salvation has nothing to do with our works, but the kingdom reward will be altogether according to our works that we have done by the Lords life after being saved.
F. Every saved one will be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad; those who practice good will receive a reward, and those who practice evil will receive punishment—2 Cor. 5:10.
G. We will stand before the judgment seat and give the Lord an account concerning all our past living, walk, and conduct; it is because of this that even the apostle Paul says that he dared not examine himself, but He who examined him was the Lord—1 Cor. 4:3-4.
H. The way we serve and work for the Lord after we are saved is a great matter.
I. Paul says, "If anyones work which he has built upon the foundation remains, he will receive a reward"—3:14.
J. When the Lord comes back, there will be a judgment; in that judgment He will determine whether we will receive a reward or punishment.
K. The reward will be decided by the judgment seat of Christ: "We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad"—2 Cor. 5:10.
§ Day 3 & Day 4
II. "We have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts"—2 Pet. 1:19:
A. Peter likens the word of prophecy in the Scripture to a lamp shining in a dark place:
1. This indicates that this age is a dark place in the dark night (Rom. 13:12), and all the people of this world are moving and acting in darkness.
2. The prophetic word of the Scripture, as the shining lamp to the believers, conveys spiritual light that shines in their darkness (not merely knowledge in letters for their mental apprehension), guiding them to enter into a bright day, even to pass through the dark night until the day of the Lords appearing dawns.
3. Before the Lord as the sunlight appears, we need this word as light to shine over our footsteps.
B. The day dawns (2 Pet. 1:19) is a metaphor illustrating a coming time that will be full of light, as a bright day dawning, with the morning star rising, before its dawning, in the hearts of the believers, who are illuminated and enlightened by giving heed to the shining word of prophecy in the Scripture:
1. In the time of apostasy the believers do well to give heed in this matter, that the prophetic word, as a lamp, may shine through the darkness of apostasy until such a day dawns upon them.
2. This will cause and encourage them to earnestly seek the Lords presence and be watchful so that they will not miss the Lord in the secret part of His coming (parousia), when He will come as a thief.
3. This metaphor must allude to the coming age, the age of the kingdom, as a day that will dawn at the appearing (the coming) of the Lord (v. 16) as the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), whose light will shine to break through the gloom of the dark night of this age.
4. Preceding this, in the darkest hour of the night the Lord will appear as the morning star (Rev. 2:28; 22:16) to those who are watchful and looking for His dear appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).
5. They have been enlightened by the shining of the prophetic word, which is able to lead them to the dawning day.
6. If we give heed to the word in the Bible, which shines as a lamp in a dark place, we will have His rising in our hearts to shine in the darkness of apostasy where we are today, before His actual appearing as the morning star.
§ Day 5 & Day 6
III. "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright morning star"—Rev. 22:16b:
A. Christ, who is signified by the heavenly luminaries, the lights, is the bright morning star—v. 16b.
B. At His coming back Christ will be the rising sun to His people generally (Mal. 4:2) but the morning star to His watchful lovers particularly.
C. The latter will be a reward to the overcomers: "I will give the morning star"—Rev. 2:28.
D. Christ as the Root and Offspring of David is related to Israel and the kingdom, whereas His being the bright morning star is related to the church and the rapture.
E. The morning star appears before the darkest hour, prior to the dawn.
F. The great tribulation will be this darkest time, after which the day of the kingdom will dawn; this indicates that Christ will appear as the bright morning star in the darkest time, prior to the close of this age.
G. In the kingdom the Lord will appear publicly to His people as the sun, but before the great tribulation He will appear privately to His overcomers as the morning star to rapture them.
H. The bright morning star will appear only to the watchful ones.
I. The slumbering believers will not see the morning star; they will see Christ only as the sun in a general way.
J. The watchful ones will have the priority to taste the freshness of His presence at His coming back after a long absence.
K. The entire Bible concludes with the desire for the Lords coming expressed as a prayer.
L. Johns prayer in Revelation 22:20 is the last prayer in the Bible.
M. "He who testifies these things says, Yes, I come quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"—v. 20.
