第九週•週四

W09D04-ch

晨興餧養

耶五二23『柱子有九十六個石榴外露；在網子周圍，共有一百個石榴。』

約七38『信入我的人，…從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。』

王上七章二十節說，『兩根柱子上的柱頂，在網子旁邊的鼓肚上，挨着鼓肚，每一柱頂有二百個石榴，分行環繞。』阿利路亞，二百個石榴！每個柱頂周圍有突出之物，像肚腹一樣；環繞每個柱頂的鼓肚，有兩行石榴，每行一百。這指明生命豐富百倍彰顯的加倍。你若接觸…每天在錯綜複雜的情況裏擔負責任的長老，你會看見他們彰顯石榴，就是生命的豐富。（創世記生命讀經，一二八四頁。）

信息選讀

代下四章十三節說，有『四百個石榴，安在兩個網子上，每網兩行石榴，蓋着柱子上端柱頂的兩個球』。…主耶穌曾說，我們能結果子三十倍、六十倍、一百倍。（太十三8。）一百倍的增加是最高的，所以我們能彰顯百倍生命的豐富。…四這數字表徵…生命豐富的百倍彰顯是在受造之物上。四百個石榴排成兩行，安在兩根柱子上；這指明見證。我們必須剛強，不僅宣告我們是耶穌的見證，還要藉着生活作見證。我們需要四百倍基督生命豐富之經歷的見證。

一百個石榴中，有九十六個外露。（耶五二23。）…四個是遮蓋的。…九十六是十二乘八組成的。十二表徵永遠的完整，八表徵復活，空氣表徵靈。因此，生命豐富的彰顯是永遠完整、在復活裏並在靈裏的。這是我們生命彰顯的性質和氣氛。我們生命豐富的彰顯是十二—永遠的，不是七—暫時的。此外，也是八—復活的新鮮，不是三—復活的過程。這裏不是復活的過程，乃是復活的新鮮、起頭、新開始；並且完全是在靈裏的事。九十六個石榴露在空氣中，意卽生命豐富的彰顯乃是那看不見之屬靈空氣的實際。我們能感覺到，卻摸不着。…我們生命豐富的彰顯，不僅是永遠的，在復活的新鮮裏，也是完全在那靈的氣氛中。…甚麼時候我們進入滿了死亡的光景，我們就會覺得氣悶。但我們在滿了生命豐富彰顯的光景中，我們就覺得自己在屬靈的氣氛中，覺得有新鮮的空氣。這就是九十六個石榴外露（向着空氣）的意義。

每一百個石榴中，四個是隱藏的，指明我們生命豐富的彰顯雖是永遠的，在復活裏並在靈裏，但我們天然的所是（由四這數字所表徵）必須遮蓋起來。我們天然的生命、天然的所是、我們的己、我們的自我，必須完全隱藏。…當基督的豐富彰顯時，別人能在復活和那靈的氣氛中，看見生命豐富永遠的彰顯，但很難說出我們天然的人在那裏。我們的自我被遮蓋，這是何等有意義！甚麼時候『我』顯出來，『四』這個大數字就會在那裏，而『九十六』卻消失了。在那裏就沒有空氣，只有天然的生命、舊人和自我。但甚麼時候『四』不見了，就會有九十六個石榴，就是基督的生命在開敞的空氣中豐富的彰顯。（創世記生命讀經，一二九二至一二九六頁。）

參讀：創世記生命讀經，第八十四篇。

WEEK 9 — DAY 4

Morning Nourishment

Jer. 52:23 And there were ninety-six pomegranates toward the open air; all the pomegranates on the network were a hundred all around.

John 7:38 He who believes into Me…out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

First Kings 7:20 says, “So then the capitals that were on the two pillars were above and close to the bulge that was beside the network. And there were two hundred pomegranates, in rows around both capitals.” Hallelujah for the two hundred pomegranates! Around each capital was a projection, …a bulge. Encompassing the projection on each capital were two rows of a hundred pomegranates each. This indicates two times of a hundredfold expression of the riches of life. If you contact [the] elders who daily bear the responsibility in the intermixed and complicated situation, you will see that they express pomegranates, the riches of life. (Life-study of Genesis, p. 1076)

Today’s Reading

Second Chronicles 4:13 says that there were…four hundred pomegranates on the two networks, with two rows on each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals upon the pillars…The Lord Jesus said that we can bear fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold (Matt. 13:8). The hundredfold increase is the highest. Thus, we can express the riches of life a hundredfold… The hundredfold expression of the riches of life is upon the creatures [signified by the number four]. That the four hundred pomegranates were arranged in two rows on each of the two pillars indicates a testimony. We must be strong, not simply in declaring that we are the testimony of Jesus, but in having a testimony by living. We need a testimony of the experience of
the riches of the life of Christ four hundredfold.

Out of one hundred pomegranates, ninety-six were exposed to the open air (Jer. 52:23)…and four were covered…Ninety-six is composed of twelve times eight. Twelve signifies eternal completion, eight signifies resurrection, and the air signifies the Spirit. Therefore, the expression of the riches of life is eternally complete, in resurrection, and in the Spirit. This is the nature and atmosphere of our expression of life. Our expression of the riches of life is twelve, eternal; it is not seven, temporal. Moreover, it is also the number eight, the freshness of resurrection, not the number three, the process of resurrection. Here, it is not the process of resurrection, but the freshness, the beginning, the new start, of resurrection. Also, it is absolutely a matter in the Spirit. That the ninety-six pomegranates were exposed to the open air means that the expression of the riches of life is in the reality of the spiritual air, which is invisible. While we can sense it, we cannot touch it…Our expression of the riches of life is not only eternal and in the freshness of resurrection, but is absolutely in the atmosphere of the Spirit…Whenever we enter into a situation filled with death, we sense stuffiness. But when we are in a situation filled with the expression of the riches of life, we find ourselves in a spiritual atmosphere and sense that refreshing air is present. This is what it means for ninety-six pomegranates to be toward the air.

That four of every one hundred pomegranates were hidden indicates that while our expression of the riches of life is eternal, in resurrection, and in the Spirit, our natural being, signified by the number four, must be covered. Our natural life, our natural being, our self, and our ego must be wholly concealed…When the riches of Christ are expressed, others can see the eternal expression of the riches of life in resurrection and in the atmosphere of the Spirit, but it is difficult to say where our natural man is.
How meaningful it is to see that our ego is covered! Whenever “I” appears, the big number four will be there, but the ninety-six will be gone. Instead of air, there will just be the natural life, the old man, and the ego. But whenever the number four disappears, we shall have the ninety-six pomegranates, the rich expression of the life of Christ in the open air. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 1084-1088)

Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 84