神的异象
与那圣者相遇
经文
以赛亚书三十三10-24
10耶和华说：现在我要起来；我要兴起；我要勃然而兴。
11你们要怀的是糠秕，要生的是碎秸；你们的气就是吞灭自己的火。
12列邦必像已烧的石灰，像已割的荆棘在火中焚烧。
13你们远方的人当听我所行的；你们近处的人当承认我的大能。
14锡安中的罪人都惧怕；不敬虔的人被战兢抓住。我们中间谁能与吞灭的火同住？我们中间谁能与永火同住呢？
15行事公义、说话正直、憎恶欺压的财利、摆手不受贿赂、塞耳不听流血的话，闭眼不看邪恶事的，
16他必居高处；他的保障是磐石的坚垒；他的粮必不缺乏（原文是赐给）；他的水必不断绝。
17你的眼必见王的荣美，必见辽阔之地。
18你的心必思想那惊吓的事，自问说：记数目的在哪里呢？平贡银的在哪里呢？数戍楼的在哪里呢？
19你必不见那强暴的民，就是说话深奥，你不能明白，言语呢喃，你不能懂得的。
20你要看锡安─我们守圣节的城！你的眼必见耶路撒冷为安静的居所，为不挪移的帐幕，橛子永不拔出，绳索一根也不折断。
21在那里，耶和华必显威严与我们同在，当作江河宽阔之地；其中必没有荡桨摇橹的船来往，也没有威武的船经过。
22因为，耶和华是审判我们的；耶和华是给我们设律法的；耶和华是我们的王；他必拯救我们。
23你的绳索松开：不能栽稳桅杆，也不能扬起篷来。那时许多掳来的物被分了；瘸腿的把掠物夺去了。
24城内居民必不说：我病了；其中居住的百姓，罪孽都赦免了。
信息分享
现在我们看以赛亚的异象下一段：「其上有撒拉弗侍立，各有六个翅膀：用两个翅膀遮脸，两个翅膀遮脚，两个翅膀飞翔」（赛六2）。
撒拉弗是在神宝座上事奉的天使。以赛亚书第六章是圣经中唯一提到撒拉弗的地方，但很多解经家都将他们连系到启示录四章8节描述的「活物」。「撒拉弗」的希伯来语的意思是「燃烧着的」或「尊贵的」，他们的特别职事是在神的宝座带领持续的敬拜。一位解经家提出，他们被称为「燃烧着的」，是因为他们闪耀着来自神那神圣同在的荣耀。他说：「他们展示的不是他们自己的荣耀，而是反映出来的荣耀──炽热永恒圣洁的荣耀。」
古代的基督徒作家往往将与神亲密的相遇比作进入危险的地带。他们所指的是甚么？一位当代作者这样解释：「如果我们有罪，而神是圣洁的；如果神是烈火，而我们是稻草，那么当我们去到神的面前时怎能够安全呢？事实确实如此，不但不安全而且是十分危险。」为甚么是危险的呢？用「危险」这个词，是因为我们和撒拉弗不同，他们是纯洁的，但我们不是。因此，我们越接近神，越和所有与祂不相似的东西一样，有被烧尽和消灭的危险。所以当你想到这一点的时候，是否理解到这正是我们应该渴望亲近神的原因呢？
「亲近神，可以消灭所有与神不同的东西」
进深研究
林前三10-17；林后四18；来十二27-29
1. 甚么会被火显明？
2. 神会借着震动清除甚么？
祈祷
天父，我明白我不能有太多与圣者相遇的经历。我不能太像您，或拥有太多您的圣洁。求您帮助我，因为我渴望尽量靠近神您圣洁的火。奉耶稣的名，阿们。
The Vision of God
An encounter with the holy One
Bible reading:
Isaiah 33:10-24
10 "Now will I arise," says the Lord. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up.
11 You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you.
12 The peoples will be burned to ashes; like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze."
13 You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power!
14 The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"
15 Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—
16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.
18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: "Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?"
19 You will see those arrogant people no more, people whose speech is obscure, whose language is strange and incomprehensible.
20 Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.
21 There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them.
22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.
23 Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.
24 No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.
Message
We look now at the next section of Isaiah's vision: "Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying" (Isa. 6:2).
Seraphs are heavenly beings who serve above the throne of God. The sixth chapter of Isaiah contains the only references to seraphs in Scripture, but many commentators link them with the "living creatures" described in Revelation 4:8. The Hebrew word for "seraphs" means "burning ones" or "noble ones" and their specific ministry is to lead the continuous worship at the throne of God. One commentator suggests that they are described as "burning ones" because they are illuminated with the glory that comes from God's holy presence. He says: "It is not their own glory they display. It is rather a reflected glory - the glory of incandescent eternal holiness. "
Ancient Christian writers often likened a close encounter with God to entering a danger zone. What did they mean? A contemporary author interprets it thus: "If we are sinful and God is holy, if God is a fire and we are straw, how can it be safe for us to enter His presence? The fact is, it is not safe. It is exceedingly dangerous." Why dangerous? The word "dangerous" is used because we differ from seraphs in that they are pure and we are not. Hence, the closer we get to God the more we run the risk of all that is unlike Him being consumed and destroyed. But when you think of it - isn't that the very reason why we ought to yearn to draw close to Him?
"Closeness to God destroys all that is unlike Him"
Prayer
O Father, I see that this is something I cannot have too much of - an encounter with the holy One. I cannot be too much like You or have too much of Your holiness. Draw me, for I want to get as close as I can to Your holy fire. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
1 Corinthians 3:10-17
2 Corinthians 4:18
Hebrews 12:27-29
1. What will be revealed with fire?
2. What will God remove by shaking?
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