啓示錄 21 章 Revelations 21
- 馬克牧師
- Jul 21
- 12 min read
各位平安，我們今天這一講要來看 啟示錄 第 21 章。我們已經來到整卷書的最後階段了。到了第 21 章，我們終於看見了結局。
約翰記載說，先前的天地都過去了，海也不再有了。接著，他看見聖城新耶路撒冷，由神那裡、從天而降，預備好了，就如同新婦妝飾整齊，等候丈夫。
這裡所描寫的，其實是一個夢想中的、完美的城市 —— 一座由上帝親手建造的城，要來取代現在所有的一切。
在這一整章裡，約翰幾乎是用盡所有的語言，來形容這一座完美的城市、這一座榮耀輝煌的城市。這不是來自地上的城，而是上帝親手所造、從天而降的城。
在這一章中，我們會不斷看見應許的實現，也看見一切仇敵都已經被處理、被審判。
第三節，約翰聽見有大聲音從寶座出來說：「看哪，神的帳幕在人間！祂要與人同住，他們要作祂的子民；神要親自與他們同在。」這是講述人和神曾經因為罪破裂的關係結束了，神要重新和人一同居住，在這最美麗最輝煌的聖城中。
而第四節，則是我們在基督徒的葬禮中，非常常聽見的一段經文。“神要擦去他們一切的眼淚，不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭號、疼痛，因為以前的事都過去了。“ 死亡已經只是記憶，而新生命沒有終點。
在第六節提到 阿拉法、俄梅戛（Alpha and Omega）。這是在希臘文中，Alpha 是第一個字母，Omega 是最後一個字母。這句話所表達的意思是：上帝是一切的開始者，上帝也是一切的結束者。一切從起初到終末，都在祂的手中，也都由祂來完成。
接著，祂說要將生命水的泉白白地賜給口渴的人，並且宣告：得勝的，必承受這些為業。
到了第八節，經文立刻給出了一個非常重要、也非常嚴肅的警告：凡膽怯的、不信的、可憎的、殺人的、淫亂的、行邪術的、拜偶像的，以及一切說謊話的，都要被排除在外。這一段，是對當時信徒一個非常重大的警告。
所謂「膽怯的」，指的是那些愛逸樂、愛安全，勝過愛基督的人；在逼迫與患難臨到的時候，不敢承認自己是基督徒，也不敢承認自己的信仰。
「不信的」，不是單單指沒有聽過福音的人，而是指那些口裡相信，但生活卻沒有活出信仰的人。
「可憎的」，是指那些在世界中追求佔有東西，卻沒有用聖潔來充滿自己生命的人。
「殺人的」，可能指的是那些實際參與逼迫、屠殺基督徒的人。
「淫亂的」，就是指過著不合神心意、放縱情慾生活的人。
「行邪術的」，在當時的以弗所是一個非常具體的情境。我們知道以弗所和哥林多，都是多神、異教盛行的城市。在 使徒行傳 19 章，我們也看見基督的名在以弗所被高舉，行邪術的人把書拿出來焚燒，顯明信仰帶來真實的翻轉。
「拜偶像的」，不只是指拜假神，也包括把上帝以外的事物當作神——金錢、名聲，甚至是自己，都可能成為偶像。
「說謊話的」，不只是刻意說假話的人，也包括那些不願意說真話、不願意把話說清楚、說明白的人。
這一切，是約翰對當時信徒的警告，同時也是給我們今天的一個重大提醒。我們或許都有軟弱，但願當我們讀到這一段的時候，能夠重新檢視自己的生命，並且在眾人面前，坦然無懼地持守、承認我們的信仰。
先前那位宣告巴比倫、那淫婦結局的天使，也就是那七位拿著盛滿神忿怒的七災七碗的天使之一，有一位來對我說：「你到這裡來，我要將新婦，就是羔羊的妻，指給你看。」
接下來，約翰就開始描寫這一座新城、聖城耶路撒冷。城中有神的榮耀，城的光輝如同極貴的寶石，好像碧玉，明如水晶。
這裡提到，城有 十二個門，門上有 十二位天使，門上寫著 以色列十二支派的名字。城的東邊有三個門，北邊有三個門，南邊有三個門，西邊有三個門。而城牆有 十二根根基，根基上寫著 羔羊十二使徒的名字。所以我們可以看見，這座城是建立在先知與使徒的根基上。
在舊約裡，神的百姓是由 以色列十二支派所代表；而在新約裡，教會的根基則是 耶穌親自揀選、帶領的十二使徒。因此，這裡同時出現 十二個門，也出現 十二個根基，象徵神整個救贖歷史的完整。
至於為什麼東、南、西、北各有三個門，其實有不同的解釋。我自己在閱讀的時候，看到一個非常浪漫、也很容易記住的理解方式。首先，這代表來自東南西北、各個方向的人，都可以進入這座城。東邊的門，是日出之地，象徵一天的開始；好像有些人是在清晨、在靈修與敬拜中尋見耶穌，因此進入聖城。
北邊的門，北方是寒冷之地，至少對北半球來說，可以象徵那些經過理性思考、用頭腦辨證來認識信仰的人，最後接受耶穌基督，進入聖城。
南邊的門，氣候溫暖、風和日麗，象徵情感豐富、內心敏銳的人，當他們注目十字架的時候，被愛所感動，因而進入基督、進入聖城。
最後，西邊的門，是太陽下山、一天結束的方向，或許象徵有些人是在生命的黃昏，才認識基督、歸向基督，最終仍然得以進入聖城。
當然，這樣的理解並不是聖經明確給出的解釋，但它提供了一個很浪漫的畫面，也讓人感受到：神的救恩，確實向各樣的人敞開。
約翰說，這座城是四方的，長、寬一樣。當量出來之後，是 四千里。
那四千里換算成今天的面積，大概是多少呢？有人估算，大約是 兩百二十五萬平方英里，如果換算成公制，大約是 五百八十二點七萬平方公里。
作為一個對照，澳洲的面積大約是 七百六十萬平方公里，也就是說，這座城的大小，差不多超過 三分之二個澳洲。超大的。接著，我們看到約翰所記載的，是一座碧玉的城，晶瑩如同明淨的玻璃。城牆的根基，是用各樣的寶石建造的。
在人間，我們所看見的一切稀有寶石，到了天國，好像都變得不值錢一樣，被拿來做柱子、做地基、做城牆。有碧玉、藍寶石、綠寶石、瑪瑙、紅瑪瑙……等等。如果你去看英文版聖經，你會看到各種寶石的名字，看起來真的非常精彩。
接著提到，城有 十二個門，而這十二個門，是 十二顆珍珠。
在古代，珍珠被認為是極其珍貴的寶物，因為它非常稀有，完全是靠機緣才能得到。在 馬太福音 13 章 46 節，耶穌還特別用了一個比喻，說有一個商人，花了一輩子去尋找一顆極貴的珍珠，找到之後，就變賣一切來換取那顆珍珠。所以，珍珠門所代表的，是一種無法想像的美麗，也是一種無法估算的財富。而這十二個門，能夠進入天國本身，就是極其珍貴的恩典。
最後我們看到，城內所鋪陳的一切，都是黃金，好像透明的玻璃。在人間，我們認為最貴重的金屬是黃金，但到了天國，黃金只不過是拿來鋪地的地磚而已。
在這座城中，不再有殿。因為上帝不再需要與人隔開，祂自己就是城的殿。城中也不再需要日光或月光來照明，因為這一切的光都不再需要了，上帝自己的榮耀就是城的光，羔羊就是城的燈。列國要在這光中行走，地上的君王也要將自己的榮耀歸給這城。人將列國的榮耀與尊貴，都歸給這座城。
在這裡，其實呈現出一個非常清楚的普世救贖圖像。
在舊約的理解中，猶太人往往認為外邦人不能得救；但在耶穌基督裡，他們也逐漸明白，當上帝的恩典臨到、當上帝發出呼召的時候，列國、萬邦、萬民都要來認識祂。因此，地上一切的權柄、一切的榮耀、一切的尊貴，最後都只能歸給那座城，也歸給坐在寶座上的上帝。
這邊，約翰從城外觀看並且形容整座城的樣貌，極盡言語之能事，用地上最被看重的珍寶去形容這座聖城都不夠。
「看哪，神的帳幕在人間。他要與人同住，他們要作他的子民。神要親自與他們同在，作他們的神。 4神要擦去他們一切的眼淚；不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀、哭號、疼痛，因為以前的事都過去了。」
何等美麗的詩句，何等美麗的盼望！
啟示錄第二十一章的分享暫告一段落，最後一講，我們要講啟示錄第二十二章的經文。感謝你的聆聽，願上帝祝福你。
Peace be with you all.Today, in this message, we turn our attention to Revelation chapter 21. We have now arrived at the final stage of the entire book. In chapter 21, we finally see the end—the conclusion of all things.
John records that the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Then he saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
What is being described here is, in fact, a dreamed-of, perfect city—a city built by God Himself, coming to replace everything that exists now. Throughout this entire chapter, John uses every possible word he can to describe this perfect city, this glorious and radiant city. This is not a city that comes from the earth, but a city built by God Himself, descending from heaven.
In this chapter, we repeatedly see the fulfillment of God’s promises, and we also see that all enemies have been dealt with and judged.
In verse 3, John hears a loud voice from the throne saying:“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them.”
This speaks of the end of the broken relationship between God and humanity caused by sin. God will once again dwell with His people, living together with them in this most beautiful and glorious holy city.
Verse 4 is a passage we often hear at Christian funerals:“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Death has become only a memory, and new life has no end.
In verse 6, we encounter the words Alpha and Omega. In Greek, Alpha is the first letter, and Omega is the last. This expression declares that God is the beginning of all things, and God is also the end of all things. Everything—from the beginning to the end—is in His hands, and everything is brought to completion by Him.
He then says that He will give freely from the spring of the water of life to the one who is thirsty, and He declares that the one who overcomes will inherit these things.
In verse 8, the text immediately presents a very serious and important warning: the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice sorcery, idolaters, and all liars will be excluded. This was a very strong warning to the believers at that time.
The “cowardly” refers to those who love comfort and safety more than they love Christ—those who, when persecution and hardship come, dare not confess that they are Christians or acknowledge their faith.
The “unbelieving” does not refer only to those who have never heard the gospel, but also to those who confess belief with their mouths yet do not live out their faith in their lives.
The “vile” are those who pursue possession and gain in the world but do not fill their lives with holiness.“Murderers” may refer to those who actively participated in persecuting and killing Christians.
The “sexually immoral” are those who live lives of indulgence and behavior that does not align with God’s will.Those who practice sorcery reflect a very concrete historical context, especially in cities like Ephesus and Corinth, where polytheism and pagan worship were widespread. In Acts chapter 19, we see how the name of Christ was exalted in Ephesus, and those who practiced sorcery brought their books and burned them, showing the real transformation that faith brings.
“Idolaters” are not only those who worship false gods, but also those who elevate things other than God—money, reputation, or even oneself—into idols.
“Liars” are not only those who deliberately speak falsehoods, but also those who refuse to speak the truth plainly and clearly.
All of this was John’s warning to the believers of his time, and it remains a serious reminder for us today. We may all have weaknesses, but as we read these words, may we examine our lives again and boldly hold fast to and confess our faith before others.
Earlier, the angel who announced the judgment of Babylon the prostitute—one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls filled with God’s wrath—came to me and said, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
John then begins to describe this new city, the holy city Jerusalem. The city is filled with the glory of God, and its radiance is like a most precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.
The city has twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and on the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There are three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The city wall has twelve foundations, and on them are written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
From this we see that the city is built on the foundation of the prophets and the apostles. In the Old Testament, God’s people were represented by the twelve tribes of Israel; in the New Testament, the foundation of the church is the twelve apostles personally chosen and led by Jesus. Thus, the presence of both the twelve gates and the twelve foundations symbolizes the completeness of God’s redemptive history.
As for why there are three gates on each side—east, south, west, and north—there are various interpretations. One interpretation I found is particularly poetic and easy to remember. It suggests that people from every direction—north, south, east, and west—are able to enter the city.
The eastern gates represent sunrise, the beginning of a day, symbolizing those who find Jesus in the early stages of life, perhaps through morning devotion and worship.The northern gates, associated with cold regions, can symbolize those who come to faith through careful reasoning and intellectual reflection.The southern gates, warm and pleasant, represent emotionally rich people who are moved by love when they look upon the cross and enter Christ.The western gates, where the sun sets and the day ends, may represent those who come to Christ later in life, at life’s twilight, yet still enter the holy city.
This interpretation is not explicitly stated in Scripture, but it offers a beautiful image that helps us feel the openness of God’s salvation to all kinds of people.
John tells us that the city is laid out as a square, with its length and width equal. When measured, it is twelve thousand stadia. Some estimate this to be about 2.25 million square miles, or approximately 5.827 million square kilometers. For comparison, Australia’s land area is about 7.6 million square kilometers, meaning this city is over two-thirds the size of Australia—truly immense.
John then describes a city made of jasper, clear as glass, with foundations adorned with every kind of precious stone. What we consider rare and valuable on earth becomes common building material in heaven—used for pillars, foundations, and walls. Jasper, sapphire, emerald, agate, onyx, and many others appear. If you read the English Bible, you will see a dazzling list of gemstones.
The city has twelve gates, each made of a single pearl. In ancient times, pearls were considered among the most valuable treasures because they were extremely rare and entirely dependent on chance. In Matthew 13:46, Jesus tells a parable about a merchant who spent his life searching for a pearl of great value and sold everything to obtain it. Thus, the pearl gates represent unimaginable beauty and immeasurable worth—and the fact that we may enter the kingdom itself is a priceless gift of grace.
The streets of the city are pure gold, transparent like glass. On earth, gold is the most precious metal, but in heaven, it is merely pavement underfoot.
In this city, there is no temple, because God no longer needs to be separated from humanity—He Himself is the temple. The city does not need sunlight or moonlight, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. All honor and glory from the nations are brought into the city.
Here we see a clear picture of universal redemption. In the Old Testament mindset, Jews often believed Gentiles could not be saved. But in Jesus Christ, it becomes clear that when God’s grace comes and when God calls, all nations, all peoples, and all tribes will come to know Him. All authority, glory, and honor ultimately belong to the city and to God who sits on the throne.
From outside the city, John describes its appearance using the most precious earthly treasures available, yet even these are insufficient to fully capture its beauty.
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.”
What beautiful words, and what a beautiful hope.
This concludes our sharing on Revelation chapter 21. In the final message, we will turn to Revelation chapter 22.Thank you for listening, and may God bless you.
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