101.見主榮面The Beatific Vision

作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul)     譯者: 姚錦榮

摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》268頁, 更新傳道會出版

有一個小男孩，從父母那裏學習神的觀念。令他感到最困擾的是，神是看不見的，他怎能敬拜和服事一位肉眼看不到的神呢？這時他又剛學會一 句格言，「眼不見，心不想」 ，因此對神是看不見的這個神學觀念十 分失望，而嚷著說： 「我要的是一個有皮有肉的神！」

或許由於人類都想要有一位有皮有肉的神，所以他們便開始崇拜偶像。石像、木像是又聾又啞，絲毫沒有幫助我們的能力，但起碼它們是可以看得見的。這些偶像可滿足我們眼目的需要，代替我們所渴望見到的神的威榮。

保羅寫道，人的罪是「將不能朽壞之神的榮耀變為偶像，仿佛必朽壞的人」（羅1:23），而且「將神的真實變為虛謊，去敬拜侍奉受造之物，不敬奉那造物的主。主乃是可稱頌的，直到永遠。阿們！」（羅1:25）

甚至連門徒也想直接看見神的面，對於神是看不見的這個觀念，他們也感到苦惱。當耶穌與門徒在樓房上共進最後晚餐時，腓力對他說：「求主將父顯給我們看，我們就知足了。」（約14:8）腓力道出了每個信徒的心聲，我們只要看一眼神的真面目，在祂聖潔的榮美中看見祂，就心滿意足了；這樣就可以使我們的靈魂滿足，叫我們苦惱的心靈安靜下來。

在門徒所提的所有問題中，似乎只有這一個問題叫耶穌感到不安和不耐。祂回答說：「腓力，我與你們同在這樣長久，你還不認識我嗎？人看見了我，就是看見了父。你怎麽說『將父顯給我們看』呢？」（約14:9）

耶穌早期在世服事時，曾由八福開始傳講登山寶訓。祂宣告清心的人有福了，並應許清心的人必得見神。我們現在見不到神，也不能見祂的榮光，這是人心的重擔，因為我們渴慕見到自己全然委身所愛的神。從神封鎖伊甸園，並命天使揮動火焰之劍把守進入伊甸園之道路開始，祂即命定任何人均不能看見祂敞開的榮面，即使連摩西請求要看神敞開的榮耀時神也答道：「你……不得見我的面。」（出33:23）

蒙救贖的子民盼望那一刻來到，可以看見神敞開的榮美和聖潔。我們現在看不見神，並不是因為眼睛的問題，而是因為內心不夠聖潔。等我們在天堂得著榮耀，心得潔凈時，就可享受那無與倫比的福分，在神的榮美中親眼看見祂。

 「見主榮面」（beatific vision）的名稱由來，是因為親眼見主的這個應許是人類靈魂的最大福氣。以色列人最高的祝福就是：「願耶和華賜福給你，保護你。願耶和華使他的臉光照你，賜恩給你。願耶和華向你仰臉，賜你平安。」（民6:24-26）

雖然有關天堂的事對我們仍是奧秘，但使徒約翰向我們保證，那時「我們必要像他，因為必得見他的真體。」（約壹3:2）

這個應許叫我們確知，在天堂裏神會向我們顯明祂自己，遠超過祂在今世的顯現（指神榮耀的外顯，如焚燒的荊棘等）。我們將來所將看見的，必定超乎雲柱火柱或焚燒的荊棘，也必多於外在的表像或反照的形象，我們必要看見「祂的真體」，親眼看見祂的本體，那時我們便不再需要一個有皮有肉的神了！

總結

1 . 肉眼看不見神，常是人類轉去拜偶像的原因。

2. 基督完全地彰顯了神的形象，看見祂就等於是看見了父。

3 .神應許清心的人得見神。

4 . 血肉之軀不能見神的面，要等到我們在天上完全得到潔淨時才能。

5 . 將來得見神真體的福分，被稱作「見主榮面」，因它將使我們的靈魂滿溢福分。

思考經文：

出32:1 -33:23；民6 ：24- 26；太5 ：8；約 14 : 1- 11； 啟22 ：1-5

THE BEATIFIC VISION

There is a story told of a little boy who struggled with the idea of God that he was learning from his parents. What bothered him most was that he was told God is invisible. How could he worship and serve a God he could not see? Already he was aware of the maxim “Out of sight, out of mind.” In frustration to the theology of an invisible God, he cried out, “I want a God with skin on!”

Perhaps the desire for a God with skin is one factor that prompts humankind to the worship of idols. Idols of stone or wood, though altogether deaf and dumb and utterly powerless to help us, are at least visible. They are a substitute designed to satisfy the craving of our eyes for the majesty of God.

Paul wrote that mankind is guilty of changing the “glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man” (Romans 1:23), and of “exchang[ing] the truth of God for the lie, and worship[ing] and serv[ing] the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25).

Even the disciples expressed a desire to see the face of God directly. They too were plagued by the elusive invisibility of God. When Jesus met with His disciples for the Last Supper in the upper room, Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8). Philip spoke for every believer. Our sufficiency would be altogether met by one glimpse of the unveiled face of God. To see Him in His holy splendor would be enough. It would satisfy the soul and calm the troubled spirit.

If Jesus ever expressed annoyance or impatience with the questions of His disciples, it was with this request. He replied, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9).

Earlier in his earthly ministry, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the Beatitudes. Here He pronounced His blessing on the pure of heart, with the attending promise that they would see God. That God cannot presently be seen in His glory and that He remains invisible to our eyes is a burden to humans who long to view the One who is the supreme object of our devotion and love. From the time that He barred access to Eden with an angel wielding a flaming sword, it has been God’s command that no human can see Him unveiled. Even to Moses, who requested to see God’s unveiled glory, God replied, “My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:23).

Yet the redeemed long for the moment when they can look beyond the veil and gaze directly upon the purity of God’s splendor. The reason we cannot perceive it now is not due to a deficiency in our eyes, but to a lack of purity in our hearts. When we are glorified in heaven and our hearts are  purified we shall enjoy the unspeakable bliss of beholding Him as He is in glory.

The beatific vision is so called because it is the promise of the vision of God that carries with it the ultimate blessedness of the human soul. The highest benediction of Israel was, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

John promises us that though mystery attends much of what lies before us in heaven, of this much we can be sure: that “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

This promise assures us that in heaven God will display Himself to us in a way that will go beyond a theophany (an external manifestation of God’s glory such as the burning bush). The vision will transcend that of a burning bush or a pillar of cloud. We will see more than an outward representation or a reflected image. We will see Him “as He is.” We will peer, somehow, into His very essence. Then there will be no need for skin.

Summary

1. God’s invisibility is often the occasion for human acts of idolatry.

2. Christ displayed the perfect image of God; to see Him is to see the Father. 3. The vision of God is promised to the pure in heart.

4. No mortal can see the face of God until we are purified in heaven.

5. The future vision of God is called “beatific” because it will flood our souls with blessedness.

Biblical passages for reflection:

Exodus 32:1-33:23 Numbers 6:24-26 Matthew 5:8 John 14:1-11 Revelation 22:1-5