Christadelphian Bible Mission--BASIC BIBLE TRUTHS

基督弟兄会圣经传教-基本圣经真理

Jerusalem, THE FUTURE EVERLASTING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

耶路撒冷，世界未来永恒的首都

 

When you have read this leaflet you will know the answers to these ques­tions：

1. Why will Jerusalem be the future everlasting capital of the world?

2. Who will be the king in Jerusalem?

3. How can I share in God's future kingdom?

 

当你读了本小册子，你就能明白下列问题的答案：

1. 为什么耶路撒冷要成为世界未来永恒的首都呢?

2. 谁要在耶路撒冷为王呢?

3.      我怎么才能分享神未来的国呢?

 

1. Why will Jerusalem be the future everlasting capital of the world?

1. 为什么耶路撒冷要成为世界未来永恒的首都呢?

 

Why Jerusalem， and not London， Beijing， New York， Rome or Moscow? The Bible answers this question. Jesus Christ him­self said， "do not take an oath at all， either by heaven， for it is the throne of God， or by the earth， for it is his footstool， or by Jerusalem， for it is the city of the great King" (Matthew 5：34，35).

为什么是耶路撒冷，而不是伦敦、北京或纽约呢? 圣经回答了这个问题。耶稣基督曾亲口说，“不可指着天起誓，因为天是神的座位；不可指着地起誓，因为地是他的脚凳；也不可指着耶路撒冷起誓，因为耶路撒冷是大君的京城” (马太福音5：34，35)。

No 'great king' was reigning in Jerusalem when Jesus spoke those words. The Romans had conquered the Jews， Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor， and Herod (not a Jew) was a puppet king. Worse was still to come for Jerusalem. Jesus made this sad， but accurate prophecy， "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies， then know that its desolation has come near... and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles" (Luke 21：20，24).

当耶稣说这些话时没有大君在统治耶路撒冷。罗马人已经征服犹太人，但彼拉多是罗马统治者，希律王(不是犹太人)是个傀儡王。耶路撒冷更糟糕的事情还在后头。耶稣造成了这种悲伤的景象，但却是精确的预言，“你们看见耶路撒冷被兵围困，就可知道他成荒场的日子近了…耶路撒冷要被外邦人践踏”(路加福音21：20，24)。

In AD 70， after a Roman army had long surrounded the city and one million Jews had died in the siege， Jerusalem fell. No king saved the people or the city. From that day until his， no Jewish king has ruled in Jerusalem. Over the centuries， wars have raged there， conquerors have come and gone. Suffering and death have reigned. How sad， for Jerusalem means 'City of Peace'.

公元70年，耶路撒冷终于在罗马军队长期包围和一百万犹太人死于围攻之后沦陷。没有哪个国王能拯救百姓或这座城市。从那天起还没有犹太人国王统治过耶路撒冷。几个世纪以来，当地战事不断，统治者走了又来，来了又走，罩着痛苦和死亡笼罩着。这是多么不幸啊，因为耶路撒冷的意思是“和平的城”。

But， after 1900 years of being away from their land， tens of thousands of Jews returned to Palestine in the 1940's. The State of Israel was established in 1948， and in 1967 Jerusalem was taken back into Jewish hands. Since then， wars and discord between Jews and Arabs have prevented any lasting peace， and still no king rules in Jerusalem today. We should not be surprised at this. Because of Israel's disobedience， six hundred years before the birth of Jesus， God spoke through his prophet Ezekiel (21：26，27 -NKJV). He said of the king in Jerusalem at the time： "take off the crown...I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer， until He comes who right it is， and I will give it to him." So no king will reign until the right­ful one comes - God's king.

但在离别国土1900年后，千百万的犹太人于二十世纪四十年代返回巴勒斯坦。1948年犹太国成立，1967年耶路撒冷回到犹太人的手里。自那时起，犹太人和阿拉伯人之间战争与不和使他们没有长久的和平，今天仍没有国王统治耶路撒冷。我们不应对此感到惊讶。由于以色列人的不从，早在耶稣出生前六百年神就通过他的先知以西结说过(21：26，27，NKJV)。他说当时在耶路撒冷的国王：“当除掉冠…我要将这国倾覆，倾覆，而又倾覆；这国也必不再有，直等到那应得的人来到，我就赐给他。”所以，在那应得的人－神的王到来之前耶路撒冷没有别的国王。

Jesus， the Son of God， was not wrong when he said that "Jerusalem is the city of the great king". He was making a prophe­cy. He was seeing far into the future. So far into it， that it is still future to our own day.

当他说“耶路撒冷是大君的京城”，正是指神的儿子耶稣。他在预言。他看到了深远的未来。他看得如此遥远，对我们今天来说仍还是未来。

There are many kings， queens and republics in the world. However， God's plan for the world is to have only one kingdom and one king. Centuries before Jesus was born， Daniel was told by God Himself， "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed ... and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2：44).

天下有许多国王、王后和共和国。但是，神对世界的计划是建立一个国，设立一个王。早在耶稣诞生数个世纪前，神就亲自晓谕但以理，“天上的神必另立一国，永不败坏…这国必存到永远”(但以理书2：44)。

“God's kingdom， with Jerusalem as its capital， will fill the earth. He has chosen one king who shall "have dominion from sea to sea ... to the ends of the earth ... May all kings fall down before him， all nations serve him” (Psalm 72：8-11).

“神的国以耶路撒冷为首都将遍及大地。他已选择了一个国王，他要执掌权柄，从这海直到那海…直到地极…诸王都要叩拜他；万国都要侍奉他”(诗篇72：8-11)。

Yes， Jerusalem will be the city of the great king. Man's kingdoms will be no more. God's kingdom will replace them all.

是的，耶路撒冷将成为大君的京城。人的国将不复存在。神的国将完全取代他们。

 

2. Who will be king in Jerusalem?

2. 谁要在耶路撒冷为王呢？

 

God has chosen his son， Jesus Christ， to be king in Jerusalem. Why? Because Jesus is the only perfect， sinless man who has ever lived. God raised him from the dead and he is alive forever. Because of this， the world will never need another king.

神已选择他的儿子耶稣基督做耶路撒冷的王。为什么呢? 因为耶稣是曾经在地球上生活过的完全、无罪的人。神已从死亡中复活他，他永生了。为此，世界不需要另一位国王。

Jesus has all the personal qualities a great king needs. As prophesied of him， he had "wisdom and understanding ... counsel and might ... knowledge and the fear of the LORD" (Isaiah 11：2). Jesus will judge "with righteousness" (v4). This is just what the world needs. He is the best-qualified king ever. "Worthy is the lamb who was slain， to receive power and wealth and wisdom， and might and hon­our and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5：12).

耶稣拥有伟大国王的一切品质。据预言，他“有智慧和聪明的灵，谋略和能力的灵，知识和敬畏耶和华的灵”(以赛亚书11：2)。耶稣将“以正直判断世上的谦卑人”(4节)。这正是世界所需要的。他是有史以来最有资格的国王。“曾被杀的羔羊是配得权柄、丰富、智慧、能力、尊贵、荣耀、颂赞的”(启示录5：12)。

The "Kingdom of God" is a common phrase in the Bible. We now know it will begin when God shall "send the Christ" back to the earth (Acts 3：20-21). God promised to "set My King on Zion， my holy hill" and to Jesus He says "I will make the nations your heritage， and the ends of the earth your possession" (Psalm 2：6-8).

“神的国”在圣经里是常用的短语。我们知道当神“差遣所预定给你们的基督”到地球上时，神的国就开始了(使徒行传3：20-21)。神应许“立我的君在锡安我的圣山上”，他对耶稣说：“我就将列国赐你为基业，将地极赐你为田产”(诗篇2：6-8)。

Jesus， "the Prince of Peace" will "speak peace to the nations"， from Jerusalem "the City of Peace". No wonder God said， "Shout aloud， O daughter Jerusalem! Behold， your king is coming to you" (Zechariah 9：9-10). When Jesus reigns as king， then "out of Zion shall go the law， and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2：3).

“和平的君”耶稣将从“和平的城”耶路撒冷“对各国讲和平”。难怪神说，“耶路撒冷的民哪，应当欢呼。看哪，你的王来到你这里”(撒迦利亚书9：9-10)。当耶稣统治为王时，“训诲必出于锡安；耶和华的言语必出于耶路撒冷”(以赛亚书2：3)。

Grasp this fact： Jesus Christ is coming back to the earth to be King of the World.

请记住这个事实：耶稣马上就要回到地球上作天下的王了。

 

3. HOW CAN I SHARE IN GOD'S FUTURE KINGDOM?

3. 我怎么才能分享神未来的国呢?

 

Each of us has two futures. How can this be? The first future has to do with the days， perhaps months and years， which lie ahead in our natural lives. What we believe， and how we spend time now， will determine our much more important ever­lasting future. That future will either be everlasting joy in God's Kingdom， or ever­lasting death. The choice is ours and we must make it soon. Compared with eterni­ty， our natural lives are very short indeed. We don't have long to make up our minds.

我们每个人都有两种未来。这怎么可能呢? 第一种未来以天来计算，或许是几个月或几年，就是在我们自然生活的前面。今天我们的信仰，我们如何花费时间将决定我们这个更加重要的永恒未来。这个未来要么在神的国里享受永恒的欢乐，要么遭受永远的死亡。选择的权利就在我们手里，我们必须很快地作出决定。与永恒相比较，我们的自然生活的确非常短暂。我们不可长时间犹豫不决。

Jesus is coming back to the earth to rule as king in Jerusalem. He will reign over the natural people of Israel. His king­dom will then spread throughout the world. He will be the world's only king， and will reign over everyone. He will have spe­cial helpers to teach the world about God and his purpose. These helpers， his "saints"， will have been given everlasting life at the Judgement. This Judgement will be held when Jesus returns to the earth (please read the leaflet in this series， "Resurrection and Judgement").

耶稣马上就要回到地球上统治为王了。他将统治以色列的百姓。他的国将遍及全世界。他将成为世界惟一的国王，统治每个人。他有特别的帮手向世人传播神及其目的。这些帮手，就是他的“圣徒”，他们将在受审判时得到永生。当耶稣返回到地球上时就会有审判（请阅读我们的系列小册子：“复活与审判”）。

Jesus will not give everlasting life to everyone when he comes. He will give it only to those who believe in God's word， the Bible， and who follow it's teachings. It involves understanding that we are sin­ners， seeking God's forgiveness， accept­ing Jesus as our saviour， being baptised "into Christ"， and keeping God's com­mandments.

耶稣返回时不会把永生赐予每个人。他只会赐予那些信仰神的道、圣经和那些遵循圣经教义的人。它还包括理解我们是罪人，追求神的饶恕，接受耶稣为我们的救世主，洗“入基督”和遵循神的诫命。

If we commit ourselves to this life of service， then by God's grace， He will grant us everlasting life through Jesus Christ， our great saviour and king (Matthew 16：27). The gift of everlasting life is the greatest blessing that has ever been offered. Imagine the joy of living with Jesus and all his faithful saints forever.

如果我们过上侍奉神的生活，那么出于神的恩典，他就会通过耶稣基督，我们伟大的救世主和王，赐予我们永生（马太福音16：27）。永生的礼物是人类曾经得到过的最大赐福。请想象与耶稣及其所有忠诚信徒永远一同生活的欢乐。

What a prospect! Will you choose to follow Jesus? If you do， he will choose you to live and reign with him forever， when he comes to be king in Jerusalem.

这是多么美好的前景啊！你会选择顺从神吗？如果这样，他在返回到耶路撒冷统治为王时就会选择你永远和他一同生活和统治世界了。

 

Please tell us if you would like to know more about Bible teaching and the beliefs of Christadelphians. Would you like：

•    Other leaflets in this series?

•    A booklet Who are the Christadelphians?

•    A monthly magazine Glad Tidings?

•    A Postal Correspondence Course?

Ask your nearest Christadelphians or write to：

CHRISTADELPHIAN BIBLE MISSION c/o 404 SHAFTMOOR LANE BIRMINGHAM B28 8SZ， UK

请告诉我们你是否希望了解更多有关圣经的教义和基督弟兄会的信仰。你是否需要：

•    本系列的其它小册子?

•    一本《谁是基督弟兄会》的小册子?

•    一份《好消息》月刊杂志?

•    一本邮寄的函授教材?

请向距你最近的基督弟兄会索取或写信给：

基督弟兄会圣经传教会

c/o 404 SHAFTMOOR LANE

BIRMINGHAM B28 8SZ，英国