The Four Living Creatures
读经∶结一5～6、10、26
壹 我们经历神作吹动的风、覆庇的云、焚烧的火和光耀的金银合金，我们就成为四活物，一个彰显基督的团体实体─结一5～6:
I. When we experience God as the blowing wind, the overshadowing cloud, the burning fire, and the glowing electrum, we become the four living creatures, a corporate entity expressing Christ—Ezek. 1:5-6:
一 在圣经里，四这数字与神的创造有关，并且表征人是神的造物─赛十一12，耶四九36，启七1。
A. In the Bible the number four is related to God's creation and signifies man as God's creature—Isa. 11:12; Jer. 49:36; Rev. 7:1.
二 四这数字指明我们是从各支派、各方言、各民族、各邦国蒙救赎的人─五9。
B. The number four indicates that we are the people redeemed from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation—5:9.
三 四活物乃视为一组，算为一个实体。
C. The four living creatures are regarded as a group; they are counted as a single entity.
贰 我们越经历风、云、火、金银合金的循环，我们就越活─一18，约六51，参诗九五1～2:
II. The more we experience the cycle of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, the more living we become— 1:18; John 6:51; cf. Psa. 95:1-2:
一 借着风、云、火、金银合金的经历，我们原是死了的人，就被点活成为活物─约五25，弗二1、5，西一13。
A. Through the experience of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, we, who were dead, have been enlivened to become living creatures—John 5:25; Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 1:13.
二 我们若继续经历风、云、火、金银合金的循环，我们就会在里面的人里成为活的，并充满活力─彼前一23，二4～5。
B. If we continue to experience the cycle of the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, we will become living and vibrant in our inner being—1 Pet. 1:23; 2:4-5.
三 我们能借着双重的证明知道我们是活物：
C. There is a twofold proof by which we can know that we are living creatures:
1 里面的证明是我们重生的灵里生命的感觉─罗八6。
1. The inward proof is the sense of life in our regenerated spirit—Rom. 8:6.
2 外面的证明是我们从事好些属灵的活动：
2. The outward proof is that we engage in a number of spiritual activities:
a 第一个活动就是祷告─帖前五17，西四2，参哀三55～56。
a. The first of these activities is prayer—1 Thes. 5:17; Col. 4:2; cf. Lam. 3:55-56.
b 其他证明我们是活物的活动，包括读经（西三16，诗一一九15、140）、在聚会中尽功用（林前十四26、31）、事奉神（帖前一9，罗一9）和传福音（一1，林前九23）。─引用经文
b. Other activities that prove that we are living creatures include reading the Bible (Col. 3:16; Psa. 119:15, 140), functioning in the meetings (1 Cor. 14:26, 31), serving God (1 Thes. 1:9; Rom. 1:9), and preaching the gospel (1:1; 1 Cor. 9:23).
3 每次我们碰着主这风、云、火、金银合金，我们里面的人就会活过来，我们就成为有活力的信徒─活而有活动的人─但十一32下。
3. Every time we meet the Lord as the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum, our inner being will be made alive, and we will become vital believers—those who are living and active—Dan. 11:32b.
叁 四活物有人显出来的样子，他们乃是在宝座上的那人团体的彰显─结一5、26:
III. The four living creatures bear the appearance of a man and are the corporate expression of the man on the throne— Ezek. 1:5, 26:
一 四活物有人的样式，宝座上的神也有人的样子，这指明神的中心思想和祂的安排都与人有关─创一26。
A. The fact that the four living creatures bear the likeness of a man and that God on the throne also bears the appearance of a man indicates that God's central thought and His arrangement are related to man—Gen. 1:26.
二 我们对主的人性需要有适当的珍赏，并且我们需要看见，我们是人，这是何等奇妙。
B. We need to have a proper appreciation of the Lord's humanity, and we need to see how marvelous it is that we are men.
三 事实上，圣经里只有四个人：首先的人、第二个人、新人和男孩子；我们原是第一个人；基督称为第二个人（林前十五47）；我们借着重生成了新人（弗二15）；现今我们期望成为男孩子（启十二5）。─引用经文
C. In the Bible there are actually only four men: the first man, the second man, the new man, and the man-child; we were the first man; Christ is called the second man (1 Cor. 15:47); we have become the new man by regeneration (Eph. 2:15); and now there is the prospect that we may become the man-child (Rev. 12:5).
四 召会所要彰显的基督，乃是在宝座上的那人─三21，参徒七56。
D. The Christ whom the church must express is the man on the throne—3:21; cf. Acts 7:56.
五 完成神计划的是人；彰显神的是人；击败仇敌的是人；将神的国带到人类中间的也是人；神需要人。
E. It is man who fulfills God's plan, it is man who expresses God, it is man who defeats the enemy, and it is man who brings the kingdom of God into the human race; God needs a man.
六 在以西结一章，关于四活物有人的样子有三件重要的事：
F. In Ezekiel 1 there are three crucial matters concerning the four living creatures' bearing the appearance of a man:
1 活物是神彰显祂荣耀的凭借；他们若没有人的样子，神的荣耀就无从得彰显─28节。
1. The living creatures are the means for God to manifest His glory; apart from their bearing the appearance of a man, God's glory cannot be manifested—v. 28.
2 活物是神在地上行动的凭借；神的行动在于他们─12～21节。
2. The living creatures are the means for God to move on the earth; God's move depends on them—vv. 12-21.
3 活物是神在宝座上行政管理的凭借─26节：
3. The living creatures are the means for God to administrate on the throne—v. 26:
a 神的宝座是神行政的中心，管治地上的一切和以西结书里所记载的一切─启四2、6。
a. God's throne, the center of His administration, dominates everything on earth and everything recorded in Ezekiel—Rev. 4:2, 6.
b 因着四活物有人的样子，才有神宝座的行政─耶十七12。
b. Because the living creatures bear the appearance of a man, there is the administration of God's throne—Jer. 17:12.
c 人是神彰显的凭借，人是神行动的凭借，人也是神行政的凭借。
c. Man is the means of God's manifestation, man is the means of God's move, and man is the means of God's administration.
肆 四活物有四个脸─结一6上、10:
IV. The four living creatures have four faces—Ezek. 1:6a, 10:
一 人的脸，指明活物活在正确的人性，就是耶稣的人性里─10节中：
A. The face of a man indicates that the living creatures live in a proper humanity, the humanity of Jesus—v. 10a:
1 主耶稣的荣美彰显在祂的人性里─参出二八2，罗十三14。
1. The glorious beauty of the Lord Jesus is manifested in His humanity—cf. Exo. 28:2; Rom. 13:14.
2 主的救恩乃是要使我们成为正确的人。
2. The Lord's salvation is to make us proper human beings.
3 我们越属灵，我们就越正常、平常并有人性─西三4、10～11。
3. The more spiritual we become, the more normal, ordinary, and human we will be—Col. 3:4, 10-11.
4 我们必须不凭我们天然的人性，乃凭耶稣的人性作人；这就是有“耶稣的人性”。
4. We need to be human not by our natural humanity but by the humanity of Jesus; this is to be "Jesusly human."
5 在书信里，使徒教导我们要作正确的人，特别是如何作正确的丈夫、妻子和父母─弗五22～六9，西三18～四1。
5. In the Epistles we are taught by the apostles to be proper human beings, in particular how to be proper husbands, wives, and parents—Eph. 5:22—6:9; Col. 3:18—4:1.
二 狮子的脸─结一10中：
B. The face of a lion—Ezek. 1:10b:
1 在圣经里，狮子表征勇敢、活力、力量、得胜和作王掌权─箴二八1，创四九9。
1. In the Bible a lion signifies boldness, vigor, strength, victory, and reigning—Prov. 28:1; Gen. 49:9.
2 我们向着罪、世界和撒但，若像狮子一样勇敢，神就能借着我们建立祂的王权─启五5，罗五17。
2. If toward sin, the world, and Satan we are bold like lions, God will be able to establish His reign through us—Rev. 5:5; Rom. 5:17.
三 牛的脸─结一10中：
C. The face of an ox—Ezek. 1:10c:
1 牛表征人甘愿劳苦作工，背负担子，并且牺牲自己─林前十五10、58，徒二十24，腓二30。
1. An ox signifies one who is willing to labor, to bear the burden, and to sacrifice himself—1 Cor. 15:10, 58; Acts 20:24; Phil. 2:30.
2 我们都需要彰显那服事别人、背负责任以及牺牲自己性命的实际─林前九9，提前五18，罗十二1。
2. We all need to express the reality of serving others, of bearing responsibility, and of sacrificing our life—1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18; Rom. 12:1.
四 鹰的脸─结一10下：
D. The face of an eagle—Ezek. 1:10d:
1 在圣经里，鹰表征大能、上升、超越的神─出十九4。
1. In the Bible an eagle signifies the powerful, buoyant, transcendent God—Exo. 19:4.
2 我们这些在基督里的信徒，有神的生命在我们里面；这生命乃是超越的，使我们有上升、超越的彰显─赛四十31，约六15，腓四12～13：
2. As believers in Christ, we have God's life within us; this life is transcendent and causes us to have an expression of buoyancy and transcendence—Isa. 40:31; John 6:15; Phil. 4:12-13:
a 我们有神圣、大能的性能，能在每一种属人的景况中都彰显神。
a. We have the divine and almighty capacity to express God in every human situation.
b 为着神经纶的完成，我们是不能被毁灭、不能被征服、不能被击败的─罗八37。
b. We are indestructible, unconquerable, and invincible for the carrying out of God's economy—Rom. 8:37.
3 我们需要像鹰一样，不让任何事物拘留我们、压制我们或压倒我们；这就是说，我们该能胜过逼迫，也能胜过称赞─参约六15，腓四12～13。
3. We need to be like an eagle, not allowing anything to hold us, to suppress us, or to depress us; this means that we should be able to overcome both persecution and praise— cf. John 6:15; Phil. 4:12-13.
伍 四活物乃是基督团体、四重的彰显，团体地活出基督的生命─结一10:
V. The four living creatures are a corporate, fourfold expression of Christ, living out the life of Christ in a corporate way—Ezek. 1:10:
一 四活物与他们的四个脸表征一个配搭、团体的实体，就是团体的基督，作神在人中间团体的彰显─林前十二12与注2。
A. The four living creatures with their four faces signify a coordinated, corporate entity, the corporate Christ as the corporate expression of God among human beings—1 Cor. 12:12 and footnote 2.
二 四活物的四个脸相当于四福音：马太福音─基督是狮子，是神国的君王；马可福音─基督是牛，是神的仆人；路加福音─基督是人，是人救主；约翰福音─基督是鹰，就是神。
B. The four faces of the living creatures correspond to the four Gospels: Matthew—Christ as a lion, the King of God's kingdom; Mark—Christ as an ox, the Servant of God; Luke—Christ as a man, the Man-Savior; John—Christ as an eagle, the very God.
三 四活物是团体的实体，完全地彰显基督，正如祂活在地上的时候一样。
C. The four living creatures are a corporate entity expressing Christ in a complete way, exactly as He was in His living on earth.