希望

亚当和夏娃在伊甸园犯罪后，上帝知道死亡和苦难即将临到世界，痛苦和泪水将会困扰人类。

人类似乎身处绝境。亚当和夏娃赤身裸体，羞愧且害怕–害怕上帝会杀了他们，因为祂警告过他们如果吃了禁果就会死（创世记2:17）。上帝创造了他们，使他们可以永远活着，但前提是他们必须不断地吃生命树上的果子。然而，当他们吃了分别善恶树上的果子之后，他们与生命树的连接便被斩断了，这意味着他们确实地，将会灭亡（创世记3:22-24）。

但上帝满怀怜悯地看着祂这两个有罪的孩子。祂需要给他们希望。上帝告诉他们关于耶稣的事。祂告诉他们，夏娃有一个后裔将会碾碎撒但的头（创世记3:15）。上帝向人类许下诺言，祂不会将人们完全置于魔鬼的控制之下。祂会派一位救世主来。

应许

这是上帝对人类的第一个应许。在整个历史进程中，祂也在适宜的时候作出了更多的应许。祂这样做是为了让人类可以始终延续这个希望。随着人类理解力的增长和知识的增加，祂也作出了更详细的应许（以弗所书3：5）。也就是说，每一个应许都让人更加明白救恩计划的意义。

上帝对人类的应许之一是通过耶稣来实现的。在最后的晚餐上，祂和众门徒立了一个约。约的内容是他们须要去宣扬主的第一次和第二次来临的信息。他们必须与人分享耶稣的好消息，祂为我们的罪而死，并会再来接悔改的罪人回天国（哥林多前书11:26）。

“契约”在《圣经》中的意思是“圣约”。当《圣经》中订立圣约时，要求立约双方都同意尽到各自的义务。与上帝立约的奇妙之处在于祂要做大部分的工作，而我们所要做的只是降服于祂。当我们完全降服于祂时，一切都会自然地随之而来。祂会雕琢我们。祂会指引我们。祂会改变我们。我们自然会觉得有必要分享这样的经历。我们把“最后晚餐”上的契约称为“新约”（马太福音26：28）。

圣餐

与最初接受新约的门徒一样，上帝赐予我们同样的机会参与新约并享有祂对我们的应许。

我们可以和耶稣一起吃最后的晚餐。我们可以喝立定新约之杯。我们可以向世人宣告，耶稣已经来了，并且还会再来。

我们通过参与一个叫做“圣餐”的礼节来重温这约（哥林多前书11:23-26）。在希腊语中，圣餐的意思是“团契”。在圣餐礼中，信徒们聚集在一起，纪念基督宽恕他们所犯之罪。

这就是我们一起吃圣餐的原因。然后我们出去告诉世人耶稣以及祂为人类提供的救赎。

也就是说，上帝要人经历饶恕，从内疚和羞耻中解脱出来。祂想让人们体验心意的更新。然后，祂希望他们与其他人分享耶稣为他们所做的一切。这就是祂想要我们持有的希望。

有些人需要这种希望，尤其是现在。他们需要自由。他们需要被宽恕。耶稣能满足每个人的需要。这是福音所提供的，是为全世界所预备的。这就是古代以色列所要宣告的信息。

被误解的弥赛亚

几千年来，以色列国一直在等待和寻找着弥赛亚或救世主。旧约中充满了关于弥赛亚来拯救祂子民的预言。甚至有时间性的预言指出耶稣第一次来的时间。但是旧约中关于弥赛亚的预言有两种不同类型。有的说祂是一只被宰杀的羔羊，多受痛苦，会被剪除，被杀害（以赛亚书53）。还有的预言说，他摆脱地上王国的束缚，以色列众民要得国享受，直到永永远远（但以理书7）。以色列的领袖们不明白这些预言，所以他们倾向于把注意力集中在弥赛亚在祂的荣耀中降临的那些预言上。因此，在公元前一世纪至公元一世纪罗马的奴役统治之下，他们越发希望有一位弥赛亚能打败罗马人，建立永恒的王国，并带他们一起成为这个王国中最伟大的人。

然而，这些预言是关于两个不同历史时期的。弥赛亚将首先作为上帝的羔羊出现，除去世界的罪，并开始在天上圣所中的工作。（但以理书9:24-27）。在完成那项工作，也就是在天上为悔改的罪人预备地方的工作之后，主就要在祂的荣耀中第二次来临，并建立祂永恒的国度（但以理书12：1-3）。

复临

《圣经》经常提到这第二次降临。有些预言谈到了祂再来之前的征兆；另一些则关于祂再来之时的情形。《圣经》说，耶稣再来的时候，世界上的每个人都要看见祂（启示录1：7）。

祂将在云中降临，正如祂离开时一样（使徒行传1:11）。将有号筒吹响，有呼叫的声音和天使长的声音，死人必从坟墓中复活（哥林多前书15:52；帖撒罗尼迦前书4:16）。

这不是什么秘密事件。事实上，《圣经》警告我们，不要被那些说只有少数人能看见祂再来的人所欺骗（马太福音24: 26,27)。想象一下–耶稣带着无数的天使在光明的云彩中降临的景象。这显然是一个超自然的事件，因为整个地球都能看到祂。死人带着年轻的生命从坟墓里出来！你会认出生命中曾经失去的亲人们。你开始升上天去与耶稣相聚。祂带着你，以及整个历史中所有悔改并相信祂的人，一起生活在一个新的世界中，直到永远。

契约

以下是上帝与人类所立的应许和契约：

在起初的时候；通过亚当； 一个应许：创世记3:15 我要为人类赐下一位救主。

至少1500年后 ；通过诺亚；一个应许：创世记9:11-13  我把虹放在天上，并应许你们，我必不再以洪水毁灭大地。

至少1000年后；通过亚伯拉罕 ；一个应许：创世记12：3  我要兴起你的一个后裔拯救地上的万族。

至少1500年后；通过摩西；一个契约：出埃及记19：3-6-你们若谨守我的诫命，告诉世人弥赛亚要来的消息，我必使你们成为蒙拣选的族类，作君尊的祭司，成为圣洁的国度和属上帝的子民。

至少1500年后；通过耶稣；一个契约：哥林多前书11:23-26-你们每逢吃喝的时候，要如此行，为的是记念我。

一个应许：彼得前书2：9-你们若将弥赛亚两次来临的消息告诉世人，我必使你们成为蒙拣选的族类，成为君尊的祭司，成为圣洁的国度，成为属上帝的子民。

至少70年后；上帝；一个应许：启示录22:20-看哪，我必快来。

弟兄姐妹们，我们想通过本平台分享更多国外本会优质影像资料。因为人手有限，希望招募一些志同道合的主内同工，做英文视频字幕翻译，视频字幕合成制作，视频中文配音，配音对轨制作。有意者请留言输入“义工申请”。以马内利！

Lesson10 Covenant

Hope

After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God knew that death and suffering were coming upon the world, and that pain and tears would trouble humanity. The human situation seemed hopeless. Adam and Eve were naked, ashamed, and afraid—afraid that God was going to kill them because He had warned that they would die if they ate the fruit (Genesis 2:17).

God had created them in such a way that they could live forever, but only if they continually ate from the tree of life.In the day that they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,however, they were cut off from the tree of life, which meant that they would, yes, eventually die (Genesis 3:22-24).But God looked with compassion upon these sinful children of His. He needed to give them hope. God told them about Jesus.He told them that there would be a descendant born of Eve who would crush Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15). God was making a promise to humanity that He would not leave them entirely to the control of the Devil. He would send a Savior.

Promises

This was God’s first promise to humanity. He made more promises all through history, and at just the right times, too.And He did this in order to keep the hopes of humans alive. He also made more detailed promises as human understanding grew and knowledge increased (Ephesians 3:5). That is, with each promise more light was given on the meaning of the plan of salvation.

One of the promises that God made with humanity came through Jesus. He made a contract with His disciples at the last supper. The contract was that they would proclaim the Lord’s first and second comings. They must share with others the good news about Jesus, who died for our sins and will come again to take repentant sinners to heaven (1 Corinthians 11:26).

 A covenant is the Bible’s word for “contract.” When a covenant was made in the Bible, it was two parties agreeing to complete their side of the agreement.

What is amazing about signing a contract with God is that He does most of the work. All we do is surrender to Him. When we surrender entirely to Him, everything naturally follows. He will chisel us. He will guide us. He will change us. We will naturally feel compelled to share.We call this contract at the Last Supper the “New Covenant” (Matthew 26:28). (If you are interested in reading about the Old Covenant or Testament and the New Covenant or Testament in greater detail, click here.）

The Communion Meal

Like the disciples, who were first given the New Covenant, we are given the same opportunity to participate in that covenant and its promises to us. We can eat the last supper meal with Jesus. We can drink the cup of the new covenant. We can proclaim to the world that Jesus has come and will come again. 

We renew this covenant by participating in an act called “communion” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The Greek word for communion means “fellowship.” This is a fellowship meal where people gather to remember what Christ has done for them in providing forgiveness for their sinfulness. This is why we eat the communion meal together. Then we go out to tell people about Jesus and what He offers them. That is, God wants people to experience forgiveness and freedom from guilt and shame. He wants them to experience a changed heart. Then, He wants them to share, with others, what Jesus did for them.This is the hope that He wants to be kept alive. Some people need this hope, especially right now. They need freedom. They need forgiveness. Jesus can meet everyone’s needs. This is what the Gospel provides, and it is for the whole world. This was the message that ancient Israel was to proclaim.

Wrong Messiah

For thousands of years, the nation of Israel was waiting for and looking for a Messiah or Savior. The Old Testament was littered with prophecies about a Messiah who would save His people. There were even time prophecies pointing to when Jesus would come the first time. But two different types of prophecies in the Old Testament talk about the Messiah. Some speak of Him being a lamb led to the slaughter, a man of sorrows who would be cut off or killed (Isaiah 53). Other prophecies speak of Him throwing off the bondage of earthly kingdoms, exalting the people of Israel, and ushering in an eternal kingdom (Daniel 7). The leaders of Israel didn’t understand the prophecies, and so they tended to focus on the ones where the Messiah comes in His glory. Under the bondage of Roman rule in the first centuries BC & AD, they were thus hoping for a Messiah who would defeat the Romans and establish the eternal kingdom, with them as the greatest men in this kingdom as well.

Yet these prophecies were of two separate historical periods. The Messiah would come first as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world and to inaugurate a work in the Heavenly Tabernacle (Daniel 9:24-27).  After that work was completed – the work in heaven to prepare a place for repentant sinners – then the Lord would come a second time, in His glory, and He would establish His eternal kingdom (Daniel 12:1-3).

2nd Coming

The Bible speaks often of this Second Coming.

Some prophecies talk about events that precede His return; others about what it will be like when He does return. The Bible says that every eye in the world will see Jesus at His return (Revelation 1:7). He will be coming in the clouds, just as He left (Acts 1:11). There will be a trumpet blast, the shout of the archangel, and the dead will rise from their graves (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

This is no secret event. In fact, Scripture warns us to not be deceived by those who say that His return is seen only by some (Matthew 24: 26, 27). Imagine—Jesus coming in bright clouds with an innumerable number of angels. It is clearly a supernatural event because all the earth can see Him. People come out of their graves with the youthfulness of life! You recognize loved ones whom you lost during your life. You begin to rise toward Jesus. He takes you, and all those who have repented throughout history and had faith in Him, to live with Him in a new existence for eternity.

Contracts

Here is the list of the promises and contracts that God made with humans:

Beginning of time  Adam  A Promise:   Genesis 3:15 – I will send a Savior for humanity.

At least 1500 years later  Noah   A Promise:   Genesis 9:11-13 – I will put my bow in the sky to promise that I will never again destroy the earth by a flood.

At least 1000 years later  Abraham   A Promise:   Genesis 12:3 – I will redeem all the nations of earth through a descendant of yours

At least 1500 years later  Moses   A Contract:   Exodus 19:3-6 – If you keep my commandments and tell the world about the coming Messiah, I will make you a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special people.

At least 1500 years later   Jesus   A Contract:1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – Eat and drink & be reminded of Me

A Promise:1 Peter 2:9 – If you tell the world about the Messiah’s first coming and second coming, I will make you a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special people.

At least 70 years later  God  A Promise: Revelation 22:20 – Behold I am coming quickly.