#26──北面──The Sides of the North

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第三部分：創造的體系

第二十六章 北面

約伯記37:22中的以利戶說：「金光出於北方．在　神那裡有可怕的威嚴。」³⁵⁸「北方」在聖經和現實世界中都是一個非常特殊的地方。我們的指南針並不指向南方，也從未指向南方。世界上從未出現過異教徒「科學家」所宣稱的「極地轉移」，因北方從來沒有移動過。正如我們所讀到的，沒有與「北磁極」不同的「北極」。在聖經中，也在實際的現實中，北方一直都是「北方」──這句話在聖經中有許多應用，也有許多關於「北方」的預言性解釋， 但它一直都是如此，沒有改變過。

在耶利米的第一個預言裡，我們看到毀滅是從北方的外邦列王、列國而來，這在聖經中一再發生，上帝召北方來懲罰祂子民的罪孽：「耶和華的話第二次臨到我說、你看見甚麼．我說、我看見一個燒開的鍋、從北而傾。耶和華對我說、必有災禍從北方發出、臨到這地的一切居民。耶和華說、看哪、我要召北方列國的眾族．」但為何如此明確地講到這個方向呢？因為「北方」具有預言意義，也代表著上帝自己的能力。³⁵⁹

讓我們從宰殺羊群獻為燔祭的綿羊或山羊的指示來看：「要把羊宰於壇的北邊、在耶和華面前．」³⁶⁰ 這裡沒有明確指出是宰殺一隻山羊或綿羊… 而是「從羊群中」宰殺。上帝將我們從南方移到北方，甚至陸地的形狀也揭示了這一點。上帝不斷地將祂所珍視的東西往北方移。在以賽亞書43:6說：「我要對北方說、交出來．對南方說、不要拘留．將我的眾子從遠方帶來、將我的眾女從地極領回。」

但我的神學說已經夠多了，因為在你的腦海裡可能已經形成了一些分歧。本章是關「北面」，這與我所指的「北方」是截然不同的。因為「北面」是一個地方，而不是一個方向──對某些人來說，它是家；對另外的某些人來說，它是住所──它是一個地方，是有別於地上其他的地方。

世界的中心是「北面」。這本章的其餘部分，每當我談到「北面」時，我會簡單地說「北面」，而不是「北方」，因為我將把「北面」作為一個確定的地方和事物。如果這有助於你在（非常不準確的）球體地圖模型上理解這一點的話，先讓我們想像一下，我在這球的正中頂部放置了一個小物體，例如一塊肥皂，或其他小而方形的東西，是可輕鬆放在你手掌上的──這就是我以後所說的「北方」。從今以後。不管怎麼說，我們理應按照聖經的想法去思考。

因此，當耶和華從「北方」發出審判時，我們要明白這是一個大方向。但是，當耶和華從 「北方」發出祂的話語時，我們就要明白這講的是個自然地點。現在，我不曉得你是否還在想像著一塊肥皂坐在教室球地球模型的頂部──在模型的銀色支架上，以某種奇怪的角度向一側傾斜──但這一刻停止想像。啟示錄21:16（在英王欽定本的翻譯）說：「城是四方的，長寬一樣。他用蘆葦量那城，一萬二千弗隆。 它的長寬高都是一樣。」這是一組有趣的測量──「城是四方的」意味著城的根基或城的底部幾乎是2222公里乘2222公里。希臘語中的措辭對 「四方」一詞非常特別，它的字是 “τετράγωνος” ³⁶¹，意思就是「四邊形」── 一個二維的四邊形。但由於我們所測量的長度和寬度都很精確，所以我們知道它是方形的。那麼這個立方體能如何安置在那個球體上而不傾斜呢？朋友，這可是個千古之謎。

但也許更有趣的是，約翰在哪裡得到城從天而降的啟示：「我被聖靈感動、天使就帶我到一座高大的山將那由　神那裡從天而降的聖城耶路撒冷指示我。」 ³⁶² 有哪座大山擁有最佳景觀能看到大城從天而降呢？我懷疑是否就是撒但帶耶穌去的那座山？³⁶³在這兩個例子中，他們都能看見要看的，但要是他們是在一個有點低的山上，就什麼也無法看到。

從錫安山的山頂上，距離東北最遠大約二十五英里的地方，你可以看到座落在耶路撒冷的客西馬尼園，那撒但能否從 764 米的高度指給耶穌看這世上的萬國？就算牠把耶穌帶到海拔 2,285 米高的西奈山，也不足以看到更遠之處。我相信約翰和耶穌是被帶到「北方」或「北面」的山──通常，這被稱為「錫安山」──那較小的錫安山，是在耶路撒冷。

「錫安山、大君王的城、在北面居高華美、為全地所喜悅。」³⁶⁴ 「聳立的美麗，全地歡樂，在北面的錫安山，是大君王的城。」³⁶⁵ 「位置優美，為全地所喜悅，錫安山向北，是大君王的城。」³⁶⁶ 上帝在北方的錫安山有祂的居所，撒但也希望能在那居住、統治及為王，而不是像牠在約伯記開頭的部分³⁶⁷和耶穌傳道之初那樣偶爾拜訪一下。「你心裡曾說、我要升到天上．我要高舉我的寶座在　神眾星以上．我要坐在聚會的山上、在北方的極處。」³⁶⁸ 「因為你心裡說，我要升到天上，我要高舉我的寶座在神的眾星之上：我也要坐在眾星之上，在北面之處。」³⁶⁹

如果北方（作為較小的錫安山）確實在以色列的群山之內的話，那麼上帝怎麼能讓以西結預言歌革，並使用歌革來懲罰以色列，驅使他們攻擊以色列的所有山脈？「我必調轉你、領你前往、使你從北方的極處上來、帶你到以色列的山上．」³⁷⁰

上帝居在北方，並從那裡發出祂的言語──今天上帝的聖靈不住在會幕或聖殿裡，乃住在我們裡面³⁷¹， 有耶穌坐在（或站在）父神的右邊，每日替我們祈求³⁷²──不管上帝的寶座是在北方之上、或第三層天、還是北方本身，這都取決於上帝所坐的時間，因為我們知道寶座曾經在地上， 並將再次臨到新的大地之上，但如今已上升，而時候將到，並會再次降臨。

註

³⁵⁸ 合和本翻譯

³⁵⁹ 耶利米書1:13-15a

³⁶⁰ 利未記1:11

³⁶¹ Strong’s Greek Concordance, Word #5068 “tetragonos”

³⁶² 啟示錄21:10

³⁶³ 馬太福音4:8

³⁶⁴ 詩篇48:2

³⁶⁵ 同上 (American Standard Version (ASV)版本)

³⁶⁶ 同上 (International Standard Version (ISV) 版本)

³⁶⁷ 約伯記1:6，約伯記2:1

³⁶⁸ 以賽亞書14:13

³⁶⁹ 同上 (King James Version (KJV)版本)

³⁷⁰ 以西結書39:2

³⁷¹ 以西結書36:27，約翰福音16:13，使徒行傳6:5，哥林多前書3:16，哥林多前書6:19，哥林多後書6:16，加拉太後書4:6，提摩太後書1:14，約翰一書2:27

³⁷² 使徒行傳7:55-56；羅馬書8:34；以弗所書1:20；歌羅西書3:1；希伯來書1:3；希伯來書8:1

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Part Three : The System of Creation

Chapter 26: The Sides of the North

“A bright light comes out of the north; God’s glory is greatly to be feared,”¹ says Elihu in Job 37:22. “The North” is a very specific place in the Bible, as well as in the real world. Our compasses do not point south, nor have they ever pointed south. The world has never known a “Polar Shift” as heathen “Scientists” proclaim. There has never been a movement of the north ever. There is no “North Pole” that is different from a “Magnetic North Pole” as we read about. In the Word, indeed in reality, the North has always been “The North.” There are many applications of this phrase in scriptures, and many prophetic interpretations about “The North” but it has always been just that.

In the first prophecy of Jeremiah, we see that destruction is coming from the north, in the way of foreign kings and kingdoms. This happens again and again in Scripture. God calls the north to chastise His people for their sins. “Again the word of the LORD came to me, inquiring, “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot,” I replied, “and it is tilting away from the north.” Then the LORD said to me, “Disaster from the north will be poured out on all who live in the land. For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD.”² But why is this direction so specific? It is prophetically important because “The North” represents the power of God Himself.

Let us take the directions for the slaughter of the burnt offering of a sheep or goat that is from the herd.”He shall slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the LORD,”³ This direction is not given if it is a single goat or sheep… But rather “from the herd.” God moves us out from the South unto the North, even the shape of the continents reveals this. God continually moves things to the North that He cherishes. The Amplified Bible says in Isaiah 43:6: “I will say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth –.”

But enough of my theology, for there are probably several disagreements forming in your mind already. This chapter is about “The Sides of the North” which is a very different realization than “The North” that I have been referring to. For “The Sides of the North” is a place, not a direction. It is a home to some, it is a dwelling to some. It is a place, like no other on earth.

At the center of the world, is “The Sides of the North.” For the sake of the rest of this chapter, when I speak of “The Sides of the North” I shall simply say: “The North,” as opposed to: “North.” For I shall speak of “The North,” as a definite place and thing. If it helps you to understand this on the (highly inaccurate) ball cartographic model, let us imagine that I have placed at the very middle top of the ball – a small object, like a bar of soap, or something else small and square that fits easily into your palm. This is what I refer to as: “The North” from hereafter. It behooves us to think as the Bible thinks, at any rate.

So when YHVH sends out judgement from “North,” we are to understand that it is a general direction. But when YHVH sends out His Word from “The North,” we are to understand that it is this physical place. Now, I do not know if you are still imagining a bar of soap sitting on top of a classroom ball-earth model, on it’s silver stand, tilted at some odd degree to the side, but stop that this instant. Revelation 21:16 in the King James Version states: “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.” This is an interesting set of measurements. “And the city lieth foursquare” means that the base, or bottom of the city are almost 2222 kilometers by 2222 kilometers. The phrasing in Greek is very specific for the word “foursquare.” The word is: “τετράγωνος,”⁴ which means: “tetragon” – A two dimensional, quadrilateral. But since our measurements are exact on both length and width, we know it to be square. How does this cube fit on that ball without tipping off? This is the mystery of the ages friend.

But maybe even more interesting is where John had this revelation of the city coming down. “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God”⁵ What great mountain would hold the best view of the great city descending? I wonder if it’s the same mountain that Satan took Jesus to?⁶ In both instances, they were able to see things that they could not have seen if they were on a somewhat low hill.

At the greatest distance to the North East, from the top of Mount Zion you can see past the garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, around twenty five miles. Would Satan be able to show Jesus all of the kingdoms of the earth from an elevation of 764 meters? Even if he had taken Jesus to Mount Sinai at 2,285 meters, there would still not be the height required to see far enough. I believe that the mountain both John and Jesus were taken to was “The North,” or: “The Sides of the North.” Often, this is referred to as “Mount Zion.” The lesser Mount Zion, residing in Jerusalem.

“Rising splendidly, is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion on the slopes of the north is the city of the great King.”⁷ Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.⁸ “ “Beautifully situated, the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion towards the north, the city of the great King.”⁹ God has His habitation in The North, at Mount Zion. Satan wishes he could reside there, to rule and reign, and not just visit once in awhile, as he did in the beginning part of Job¹⁰ as well at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. “And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north.”¹¹ “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”¹²

How could God have Ezekiel prophesy against Gog, and use Gog to punish Israel, driving them against all of the mountains of Israel, if The North (as lesser Mount Zion) is indeed inside of the mountains of Israel? “And have turned thee back, and enticed thee, And caused thee to come up from the sides of the north, And brought thee in against mountains of Israel,”¹³

God dwells in The North, and sends His Word from there. The Holy Spirit of God dwells in us today¹⁴ and not in the Tabernacle or Temple. While Jesus sits (or stands) at the right hand of God the Father and daily prays for us.¹⁵ Whether God’s throne is above The North, in the Third Heaven, or in The North itself, depends on where God sits in time. For we know that the throne was on earth, and again will be on the new earth, but that it is ascended now, until the time is come for it to descend again.

Footnotes

¹ BiBE

² Jeremiah 1:13-15a, BSB

³ Leviticus 1:11 BSB

⁴ Strong’s Greek Concordance, Word #5068 “tetragonos”

⁵ Revelation 21:10, KJV

⁶ Matthew 4:8

⁷ Psalms 48:2, HB

⁸ Ibid, ASV

⁹ Ibid, ISV

¹⁰ Job 1:6, Job 2:1

¹¹ Isaiah 14:13, Amplified

¹² Ibid, KJV

¹³ Ezekiel 39:2, YLT

¹⁴ Ezekiel 36:27,John 16:13, Acts 6:5, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Galatians 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:14, 1 John 2:27

──Biblical Cosmology by Pauly Hart
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