新视野

What is Heaven Like天堂是怎麼樣的

温汉辉牧师

我们今天乃是活在一个很特殊的年代：我们要不是在敬拜就是被敬拜；我们要不是制造地狱在人间，就是制造天堂在人间。另外，每一个人都希望自己死后上天帝。绝对没有一个人盼望自己死后会下地狱！尽管历来有不少人尝试描写地狱来恐吓人叫人做好事，但更多人为了盼望绞尽脑汁赏试描写天堂的美景。但问题是没有一个人曾经到过天堂又回到人间，就算有人真的到过天堂，我想他们也不想回来。感谢耶稣的门徒约翰，当上帝在两千年给他在异象中看到天堂的景象后，他回到人间很不简单的把他所见到有关天堂的景象，用人有限的言语给描写出来。而他的描写乃是根据神的启示，而非人的想象力而来的。按启示录四:1的记载，约翰说：［此后，我观看，见天上有门开了，有声音对我说，你上到这里来，我要将以后必成的事指示你］哪，许多人把这里的‘上来’说成天堂肯定是在上面不是在下面。其实这不过是让我们看见天堂与地狱在本质上的不同吧了。至少对我来说，天堂不是一个时间上的地理位置，而是一个非物质超时空的范畴！

有一个宗教教导人说天堂是专供男人享受的地方。意即女人只能守在天堂的厨房里或在房间里服待男人。但与这种自私，大男人，及人本主义的天堂观不一样的是，基督教的天堂观乃是一个以神为万物的中心的一个范畴。万物，包括天使，人类，甚至可能包括所有的动物界都围绕上帝敬拜。我说天堂里很可能有动物不是没有根据的。因为一些神学家认为，那四个有动物的脸形的四活物，是围绕上帝的第一个圈，日夜赞美神。他们很可能就代表着世上所有的动物界。所以，若你是一位热爱宠物的人，你可以受安慰！

在这四活物之外，有第二层的外围圈子，就是２４个长老围住坐在宝座上的上帝。一些神学家认为在这24位长老乃代表12位以色列族长及12位门徒。但也有一些神学家认为这24位长老乃如诗篇89:7所说的，是神圣者议会(Holy Council)中的议员：‘在圣者的会中，是大有威严的神，比一切在他四围的更可畏惧。’

让我回到那第一圈的四活物。这四个活物与700年前旧约先知以西结在天堂的异象中所见的四个活物相似。每一次当这四活物将荣耀，尊荣及感谢归给那坐在宝座上的神时，那24位长老就会俯伏在神的面前，敬拜那活到永永远远的神，又把他们的冠冕放在宝座前！他们都会同声的响应赞美神说： “我们的主, 我们的神, 你是配得荣耀, 尊贵, 权柄的, 因为你创造了万物, 并且万物是因你的旨意被创造而有的.”

虽然我们不能肯定这四活物又或是２４位长老，他们真正的身份是谁，有一件事是肯定的，那就是日夜敬拜神是他们在天堂的全时间工作！而且，他们不是天堂的中心。唯独神才是!

如果你稍为留心的话，在这整个宇宙性的天堂敬拜里是有秩序的。开始是神坐在中心的宝座上。接下来就是父神四周的核心特使四活物，再接下来的第三圈乃是那围绕四活物及父神的24位长老。他们都同声向神敬拜赞美。最后，这个赞美的层次就会继续向外扩张。请看5:11约翰说:“我又看见,且听见, 宝座与活物并长老的周围, 有许多天使的声音; 他们的数目有千千万万, 大声说: ‘曾被杀的羔羊是配得权柄, 富, 智慧, 能力, 尊贵, 荣耀, 颂赞的.’”

最后，这整个宇宙性的赞美就在第13节达到高潮。约翰说: “我又听见在天上, 地上, 地底下,沧海里, 和天地间一切有被造之物, 都说: ‘但愿颂赞, 尊贵, 荣耀, 权,劫都归给宝座的和羔羊, 直到永永远远.’”  四活物就说: “阿们!” 众长老也俯伏敬拜。这是一个多么荣耀宏伟壮观的宇宙性赞美埸面！

5:13所说的: “我又听见，在天上，地上，地底下，沧海里，和天地间一切所有被造之物，都说，但愿颂赞，尊贵，荣耀，权势，都归给坐宝座的和羔羊，直到永永远远＂如你仔细的看，在这整个宇宙性的赞美及敬拜中，圣子(耶稣)与圣父乃是在同等的地位上一同被天上地下的万象所赞美的。换句话说，当你赞美父神时，就是赞美圣子；赞美圣子时就是赞美圣父！圣父圣子同得荣耀！

让我们重复一下有关天堂的了解。按约翰的记载，天堂肯定是一个以神为中心充满敬拜及赞美的地方。若天堂是一个敬拜的地方，那敬拜肯定是天堂不可分割的一个重要部份！

尽管从地今世看来，这一副完美天堂的景象在历史中乃仍在进行中，但信徒们今天所作的每一个敬拜与赞美，都是那永恒画面的一撇一画。在5:8节说，24位长老在天堂里手持的香炉是代表圣徒们在世上的祈祷。若是这样的话，我们今天在永恒这边对神的歌颂及敬拜也肯定会同时在天堂里如闭路电视一样被反映开来！若天堂是一个敬拜的地方而敬拜乃天堂一不可或缺的重要部份，那约翰在异象中看到天堂敬拜的景象应让足以让我们认真看待我们在今生对神的敬拜

人类今天的问题不是我们不敬拜－其实每个人都在敬拜着某一样东西。我们的问题是我们要不是用一个真诚的心来敬拜一个假的东西，就是在自称为敬拜真神时，存着一个错误的心理，态度，及心灵来敬拜真神。我们不知道真正的敬拜乃是一个与神会面的壮严埸面及一个围绕在宝座前神圣的庆典。真正的敬拜乃是当神羔羊耶稣救赎的工作被肯定!意思是说，什么时候我们将我们的焦点由神永恒的宝座及耶稣转移到任何比这宝座次要的东西时,

• 我们的生命就会在猛然的抽搐中突然变的很脆弱
• 我们就会在周围的广告，诱惑，讯号，及各路网站影响中，不堪一击
• 我们最终不是被人操纵，就是操纵别人

若敬拜的对象，心灵，心态错误，

• 我们就会在不自觉中犯了等同十诫中的第一诫　－　敬拜一个偶象

若敬拜的对象，心灵，心态错误，

• 全人类将会被一种庞大没有方向及没有持久性的人生目标所横扫遍地！

结果是整个人类就会在一个恐怖悼词的笼罩下，向着一个惧怕及没有生气的方向迈进！

正确的敬拜生活会带来内在的医治，也能减轻我们日常的生活重担。但可惜的是许多基督徒把敬拜神的生活当作可有可无。他们由一间商场到另一间商店，在无止尽的工作中，为了满足那无止尽的需要及味口，从一个网站到另一个网站，耗尽了他们的金钱及体力，间中穿插着一个又一个的失望！

传道书三：１１节说，‘神造万物，各按其时成为美好。又将永生安置在世人心里’。在我们的生命内在的深层里，时刻渴望有着一个有意义及有方向的人生。而这种的渴望唯有透过一个对真神上帝的真敬拜才能给与带来真正的满足

• 真崇拜会令人进入一个忘我的境界，以致不再在乎一些表面上的细节
• 真敬拜不会太过蓄意的在乎自己的外在表现
• 真敬拜不是总是在强求上帝去满足我们那无止境的个人需要

我们必须承认我们在敬拜时太多时候是在寻找好的音乐及一些短暂的感动，而对神要我们听的信息不加关顾。所求的是医治而不是悔改；我们的焦点无处不在，就是没有放在那万物的中心上帝的宝座上。

• 真敬拜乃是刻意的将焦点放在那位掌管万物，自我启示，创造及救赎，维持秩序井然，及赐福全人类的永活真神身上。
• 真敬拜的结果是让敬拜者体验到一种真正内在的平安与和谐。它使让我们的头脑保持清析，洞察力更聚焦，心灵得到更新。这时候，那怕是最平凡的话语也会化为美丽的诗篇，变成动听的音乐与诗歌！

在圣经中我们就看到这种的音乐及诗歌比比皆是。它能助人表达内心对神的赞美。比如说，摩西歌唱，米利暗歌唱，低波拉歌唱，戴维王歌唱，马利亚向神歌唱，天使向神歌唱，连耶稣及其门徒也歌唱。天上地下的万物也歌唱。我们也应为着神的荣美而如此歌唱！

基督教敬拜的独特在于 “阿门”两个字。在第五章的最后一节里说: “四活物说: ‘阿们!’”  ‘阿们’的意思乃是指 ‘是的’ 或是 ‘实实在在’的意思。当信徒们说‘阿们’时，乃是透过敬拜肯定了那位肯定我们的神。保罗在歌林多后书1:20说: “神的应许, 不论有多少, 在基督都是 ‘是的’”。耶稣本身就是那实实在在的阿们。耶稣乃全人类对神圣应许最完美回应的一个顺服典范（赛亚书65:16）。我们今天乃是活在一个充满反对或否定的文化里。要不是拒绝人就是被人拒绝。但耶稣乃是我们的 ‘阿们’(实实在在)。所以每当我们说 ‘阿们’之时，我们不再有畏缩，不再胆怯，也不再被拒绝。因为 ‘阿门’本身就是一个潚清人生一切消极的答案！

很可惜的是很多人把‘敬拜’当成是‘令人生厌又乏味boring’的同意词。难怪有人说，啊？在永恒的天堂里天天永无止境的敬拜，不是很痛苦吗？其实，痛苦或快乐都是很一种很相对的感受。这种感受与你做什么不做什么无闗，而是看你与谁在一起。比如说，当你与一位你所爱又爱你的人在一起时，时间已经不是问题。对一个人来说是令人生厌又重复又事，对一对正在热恋中的人来说，完全又是另外一种的感受。除非你认为那爱我们的天父是那么的令人讨厌，又或是你在敬拜中太过在乎你自己的感受及你的表现，以致你忘了你所敬拜的是谁，甚至是把敬拜当成是一种例行公事的宗教责任。若你是的话，看来你有必要回到约翰所描写所见证的天堂生活。而不是把放在你幻想出来的所谓天堂了。

最后，让我用一个故事作结束：多年前在广州有一位青年人问我一个很尖锐的问题。他说，‘温牧师，你的上帝有自我形象的问题！’我说：‘为何你这样说呢？’他说，‘只有一个自我形象低的人才会要人家敬拜赞美祂！’我回答他说：‘你有没有观赏过足球赛？当群众在兴奋中对进球的胜方全场欢呼时，已经不再是球员们的事，而是全场的人　－　包括球员及观众的事了。同样的，与其说神很自我的要求我们敬拜祂，不如说天父很无私的，愿意且喜悦的与我们分享天堂里那本单属于祂的喜乐与荣耀！姑且不说祂身为我们的创造者，本身就配得我们敬拜！

天堂到底是怎样的？我相信天堂肯定是一个很美有神同在的地方。在那充满荣耀敬拜的时空里，约翰说，不再有黑夜，不再有咒咀，不再有眼泪（神要亲自擦去我们的眼泪），不再有死亡，不再有悲哀，哭号，疼痛，人不再变老，也不用为结婚的事而愁烦，那因婚姻而来的满足与天堂里只有增加而不会减少！还有，即然天堂是一个那么快乐有上帝同在的地方，每个人肯定能拥有自己的宠物－如果你要的话！

Throughout human history, various wild imaginations have been fired up at to what heaven might be like. But the problem is – no one has ever been to heaven and come back, nor do I think anyone would still want to come back. Thanks to John the beloved disciple of Jesus who painstakingly recorded down all that he saw in his vision about heaven 2000 years ago.  And his view of heaven is based on divine revelation rather than pure human’s imaginations. As recorded in the book of Revelations 4:1, John the apostle was given a rare glimpse of heaven: “After this,” he said, “I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.” And Jesus’ messenger said to him: “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”Now, the verb ‘come up’ here probably explains why we always think of heaven must be a place up there rather than down here! But I think this has more to do with simply showing us the intrinsic and fundamental difference between heaven and earth and nothing more! At least to me, heaven is a sphere rather than a physical location!

There is a religion that says heaven is for ONLY! So, what they mean is that in heaven, all women will be still confined within the kitchen and their presence is to serve the men! Contrary to this kind rather chauvinistic and anthropocentric interpretation about heaven, the heaven as witnessed by John in his rare vision, is a sphere where by God is simply the center of everything and all the rest – be it angels, human beings, and probably even all animal world are subservient to the creator! The reason why I think even animals have a place in heaven is not unsubstantiated as some theologians think the four creatures with animal faces – the first layer circling around God praising him day and night, actually represent the animal world. So, for those of you who are pet lovers, take comfort in this interpretation!

Outside of the four creatures, there is another third layer where we see 24 elders circling around God. Some theologians interpret these 24 elders as representing the 12 Israel tribes Jesus’ 12 disciples! Still, some theologians think they are simply referring to the heavenly council of God mentioned in Psalm 89:7 and I quote: “In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him”

Let us come back to the four creatures – they are actually similar to the four creatures that Prophet Ezekiel saw almost 700 years ago in his vision about heaven. Now, whenever the four creatures in heaven give glory, honor and thanks to God who sits on the throne, the 24 four elders will fall down and lay their crowns before God. And they will sing in response: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Now, although there is no way we can know for sure the true identities of these 24 elders and four creatures, one thing is clear – worshipping God is their full-time job! And they are not the focus in heaven. God is! (so, it is wrong to worship anything apart from God)

If you observe carefully, there is also a cosmic order in this heavenly worship. It all begins with God the Father being the center of this cosmic worship, followed by the 4 creatures revolving around God, and then the 24 elders, finally, we see the circle of worship continues to expand when we read in chapter 5 that on the third circle, thousand upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand of angels encircling the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a cosmic unison, the angels sing: “Worthy is the Lamb – referring to Jesus – who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Finally, this cosmic worship was made complete when John begins to hear voices coming from all cosmic directions: “Then I heard every creature IN HEAVEN and ON EARTH and UNDER THE EARTH and ON THE SEA, and ALL that is in them singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne AND to the Lamb – referring to Jesus our savior – be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever.”’ (5:13) WHAT A GLORIOUS AND MAJESTIC SCENE of worship in heaven!

If you 5:13: [Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"] observe carefully, Jesus is seen here as sharing the same praises and worship attributed to God the Father.  In other words, when you worship God, you worship Jesus; and when you worship Jesus, you are actually worshipping God!

Now, let’s recap what we have learned so far about heaven as witnessed by John 2000 years ago in his vision: Heaven is a place of worship whereby God is the center of everything. If heaven is a place of worship, then it is certainly not wrong to say that worship itself is an integral part of heaven.

Although this complete eternal picture is still in progress from the perspective of this worldly, every hymn and every choruses of praise we sing now are bits and pieces of the entirety. I want you to turn with me to Revelations 5:8b: “…the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one … holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”. Now, think of it this way: If our prayers on earth are actually the incense that is now being carried by the 24 elders in heaven, isn’t it equally true to say that whatever we sing on earth today will be accurately transmitted in heaven at the same time? If heaven is a place of worship and worship is part of heaven itself, the heavenly majestic scene of worship that John witnessed should move us to taking our Christian worship more seriously whenever and wherever we are. This is my first point!

Now, the problem with us today is not that we do not worship – in fact everyone seems to be somehow worshipping something isn’t it? Our problem today is that we either worship the wrong object with a sincere heart, OR when we believe we are worshipping the right object, we worship with a wrong mentality, wrong attitude, and a wrong spirit! Little do we realize that TRUEworship is a solemn meeting and a holy celebration around the throne of God; True worship is when the salvific work of Jesus is acknowledged and affirmed! Meaning – The moment we shift our focus from God’s eternal throne and from Jesus to other thrones lesser than God, OR when Jesus is absent from our Christian worship of God the Father,

1.     we make ourselves vulnerable to a life of spasm and jerks,

2.     we put ourselves at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren, and every website

3.     and eventually, we live either manipulated or manipulating!

Without right worship, right attitude, right spirit, and a right mentality,

• we are knowingly or often than not, unknowing promoting another god that is tantamount to creating another God, it is tantamount to breaking the first of the Ten Commandments!

Without right worship, right attitude, right spirit, and a right mentality,

• We will be swept into a vast restlessness without steady direction and sustaining purpose.

As a result, we either move in a frightened panic or in a deluded lethargy that in turn, alarmed by specters and soothed by placebos.

While true worship brings about inner healing and a lightening of our daily burden, there are Christians who unfortunately have not taken their worship of God seriously. They go from shop to shop, from work to work, from one website to another website, spending enormous sums of money and energy to meet this need and that appetite, a fantasy interrupted occasionally by ditches of disappointment.

In the book of Ecclesiastes 3:11, King Solomon says: ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart…’ You see, there is an aspect in our life that yearns for meaning and direction, an aspect can only be satisfied through a worshipful acknowledgement of God being the center of our life and of the universe.

1.     True worship forgets about protocols

2.     True worship is not self-conscious.

3.     True worship is not a pathetic and sometimes desperate charade trying to get God to pay attention to our endless needs and requests.

Admittedly, there may be times we come to church looking for good music and moving moments but not the message God wants us to hear; We want healing but not repentance; Our pay attention on everything except heaven where God is described as being in the center of everything!

4.     True worship is an act of attention to the living God who rules, speaks and reveals, creates and redeems, orders and blesses.

5.     True worship results in perfect peace and harmony where minds are cleared, perceptions refocused and spirits renewed. As this take place, ordinary speech is condensed into poetry, music and songs.

There are songs and music everywhere in the scripture that help express the majesty of God, His mercy and His love, and the wholeness of newfound reality in Christ.  Moses sings, Miriam sings, Deborah sings, King David sings, Mary sings, angels sing, Jesus and His disciples sing, all creatures in heaven and on earth sing, and so should we today – for the glory of God!

What makes Christian worship distinctive is the word “Amen”. In the last verse of chapter 5: “The four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’” “Amen” basically means “Yes” or “Truly”. In other words, the word ‘Amen’ is a worshipful affirmation to the God who affirms us. Paul says in2 Corinthians 1:20: “All the promises of God find their Yes (Amen) in Christ.” Jesus is the “Amen” in the sense that He (Jesus) is the perfect human’s response of obedience to the divine promise (Isa 65: 16). We live today in a culture of nay saying and rejecting. But Jesus is our Amen and whenever we say “Amen”, there is nothing cowering, cautious, or timid in it. It is an answering word that purges of all negativeness!

Unfortunately, the word ‘Christian worship’ today is synonymous to boredom to many people. Can you therefore imagine heaven being a place of such worship – eternally? But the thing is – words like ‘boredom’ or ‘happiness’ are relative words. They have nothing to do with what you do or don’t do but have everything to do with whom you are with. You see, when you are with someone you love and someone who loves you in spite of all, time is no longer an issue! What is perceived as mundane and boring repetitions to us would take on a totally different meaning in the eyes and experience of a beholder! Now, are you telling me that our heavenly father is so boring or have you been too conscious of yourself and your performance so much so that you have forgotten who He really in your mundane and obligated act of so called ‘Christian worship’? If you are, it is of utterly importance that you and I should often return to the heaven as witnessed by John rather than some kind of heaven fired up with our own imaginations!

Finally, let me end today’s sermon with a true story. Someone in Guang Zhou said this to me very bluntly: ‘Sir, your God has a self image problem!’ I said: ‘Why are you saying that?’ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘Only a person with low self image would ask people to praise and worship him all the time isn’t it?’This is how I answered him: ‘Well, have you been to a live soccer match? When the winning team is cheered repeatedly by the crowd in a celebrative mood! It is no longer just about the winning team, it is about the whole stadium! So, instead of saying God selfishly wanting us to praise Him, it would be more correct to say: It is our Father’s desire to selflessly share with us the heavenly Joy and glory rightly belong to Him in this cosmic and majestic worship where He is the center of everything both now and forever! Not to mention that as our creator, He is rightly worthy of our worship!

Finally, what is heaven like? I believe heaven must be a beautiful place with God’s eternal presence. In that glorious worshipful timeless sphere, John said, there will be no more darkness, no more curse, no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more mourning or crying, and no more pain, and a place where we no longer grow old. There will be no more marriage and the many sorrows that come with it. And the kind of satisfaction we now experience in marriage life will only be doubled in heaven! Finally, somehow I do believe there will be a pet for everyone – if you want – in heaven, because heaven is such a happy place!

Ps Vun