将来的国
以赛亚书三十五章1至10节
1旷野和干旱之地必然欢喜;沙漠也必快乐;又像玫瑰开花,
2必开花繁盛,乐上加乐,而且欢呼。利巴嫩的荣耀,并迦密与沙仑的华美,必赐给他。人必看见耶和华的荣耀,我们神的华美。
3你们要使软弱的手坚壮,无力的膝稳固。
4对胆怯的人说:你们要刚强,不要惧怕。看哪,你们的神必来报仇,必来施行极大的报应;他必来拯救你们。
5那时,瞎子的眼必睁开;聋子的耳必开通。
6那时,瘸子必跳跃像鹿;哑巴的舌头必能歌唱。在旷野必有水发出;在沙漠必有河涌流。
7发光的沙(或译:蜃楼)要变为水池;干渴之地要变为泉源。在野狗躺卧之处,必有青草、芦苇,和蒲草。
8在那里必有一条大道,称为圣路。污秽人不得经过,必专为赎民行走;行路的人虽愚昧,也不致失迷。
9在那里必没有狮子,猛兽也不登这路;在那里都遇不见,只有赎民在那里行走。
10并且耶和华救赎的民必归回,歌唱来到锡安;永乐必归到他们的头上;他们必得着欢喜快乐,忧愁叹息尽都逃避。
信息分享
昨天我们一起从个人和此时此地的角度来思想「愿你的国降临」这句祷文的含意;今天,我们将会从预言的角度来看这句祷文的意思。
圣经毫不讳言耶稣基督最终将会作全地的王.而且,全宇宙都要伏在祂的脚下。旧约和新约的许多经文都一再重申这一点。
在基督降世之前,天使加百列向童女马利亚显现报讯,当中说了一句话:「他的国也没有穷尽。」(路一33)父神对神子又说了些甚么呢?「你坐在我的右边,等我使你仇敌作你的脚凳。」(诗一一零1)
神又向世人怎么说呢?「叫一切在天上的、地上的,和地底下的,因耶稣的名,无不屈膝……」(腓二10)
当我们向神祷告说:「愿你的国降临」,就等于约翰在启示录最后一句话说:「主耶稣啊,我愿你来。」我们在心中不断呼求主说:「主啊,你来作我们的王吧!请你坐在统管宇宙的宝座上,将那黑暗之子永远丢弃,求你以公义管治全地。万王之王的主耶稣啊,愿你快来!」
国中无王是不行的。当主耶稣亲自作王的时候,可想而知这国度将会是何等的圆满。
在你的心目中,一个公义的国度将会是怎样的呢?它会不会没有罪恶、没有疾病、没有衰败、没有死亡,甚至是没有试探?实在是超乎我们所能理解。这正是基督的国度。当神给祂儿子的应许完全成就的那日,我们这些作为神国子民的人,便能够亲自体验在这公义国度生活的滋味。我们期盼它的来临,因为我们确信神的话语真实。你已作好准备去迎接我们这位大君王了吗?
主啊,愿你的国降临。
THE COMING KINGDOM
Isaiah 35:1-10
1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
The excellency of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“ Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
7 The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
8 A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it;
It shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Message
The Word of God leaves no doubt that ultimately Jesus Christ will not only be king over the earth, but over the whole universe. Many passages in both Old and New Testaments affirm this repeatedly.
Before Christ was born the angel Gabriel said to the Virgin Mary, "His kingdom will never end." (Lk 1:33) What did the Father say to the Son? "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." (Ps 110:1)
What has God said to the world? "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth ..." (Php 2:10)
When we pray "Thy kingdom come" we are praying as John did in the last words of Revelation - "Come Lord Jesus". "Come and reign over us. Take Your place on the throne of the universe.
Throw out for ever the prince of darkness and rule in righteousness. Come King Jesus and come quickly."
We cannot have the kingdom without the king, and when He does come, how wonderful it will be.
Can you imagine a kingdom of righteousness? A kingdom where there is no sin, no sickness, no corruption, no death, not even temptation? It is beyond our comprehension. This is what Christ's kingdom will be like. As individual members of Christ's kingdom, all this will be our experience when God's promises to His Son are ultimately fulfilled. We can look forward to it because of the certainty of God's Word. Are you ready for the coming of the King?
LORD, THY KINGDOM COME.

