SECTION A
甲部
1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好，
2. Thank you for tuning in to listen to this program.
谢谢你们收听今天的节目。
3. We are about to commence a great series of messages
我们将要开始另一系列伟大的信息，
4. We are calling it, “The Garden Verses the City”
题目是：“花园与城市”。
5. And you will understand more and more as this series unfolds
当我们逐渐进入这系列的信息时，你将会更明白其中所包涵的意义。
6. In reality, it is the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation
其实，这系列所讲的内容，可以说是涵盖了整本圣经，从创世记一直到启示录。
7. I want to begin by saying that people were making all sorts of predictions around the turn of the 21st century
首先，让我告诉你，当我们进入21世纪时，产生了各种各类的推论和揣测。
8. Some people went to all sorts of extremes in their predictions
其中，有些人的推测是非常极端的。
9. But for the past 20 centuries Christians have always lived a dual role
然而，过去两千多年来，基督徒的生活总是扮演着双重角色。
10. What is this dual role that you ask
你也许会问，到底是什么样的双重角色呢？
11. It is both waiting for the Lord to come at any moment
一方面，随时等候主耶稣的再临；
12. And laboring diligently for Him at the same time
另一方面，则勤奋竭力的为主做工。
13. People are forever trying to set dates and make predictions regarding the second coming of Christ
人们常常对耶稣基督的再来多方揣测，并预测祂再来的日期；
14. Yet Jesus told us very clearly
然而，耶稣曾很明确的告诉我们，
15. That no one knows the hour of His return
没有人能预先知道祂再来的时辰。
16. Listen to what Jesus said
请听主耶稣怎么说，
17. That He will come like a thief in the night
祂再临时，就好像夜晚有贼来似的，
18. When most people are not expecting Him
就在大多数人都想不到祂会来的时候。
19. There’s a story about a family that was discussing the Sunday sermon over Sunday lunch
有一家人，在星期天午餐时讨论着早上崇拜时讲道的内容，
20. As many families do
就像许多家庭都是这么做的，
21. That Sunday the sermon was on the second coming of Christ
那天的讲道就是关于耶稣基督第二次的来临。
22. The teenager in the family said that he still had lots of questions about the second coming of Christ
家中一个十几岁的孩子说，他对于耶稣的再来，仍有不少疑问。
23. The father tried his best to answer the questions
他父亲尽其所能的回答孩子的问题。
24. And finally he said to his son
最后他对儿子说，
25. We don’t have all the answers we might like
我们无法解答所有的问题，
26. But we do have all that we need to know
但已经有足够的答案，让我们明白需要知道的事。
27. And what we need to know is to live each day as if it were your last day
我们需要知道，我们应该把每一天都当作在世上的最后一天来生活就够了。
28. The boy replied
儿子回答说，
29. But I tried that once and you punished me for it
我曾经这么做，但你却因此而处罚我呀。
30. In the event that the Lord does not return today
如果主耶稣今天还没有回来的话，
31. In the next few broadcasts I want to deal with two issues
在接下来的节目中，我将会和你讨论两件事。
32. Both the beginning of time and the end of time
就是“时间”是怎样开始和结束的。
33. I want to go all the way to the beginning of time
我们要一直回到时间的开端，
34. And then relate it to the end of time
然后再谈它和时间终结的关系。
35. The Bible is not just little bits and pieces of writing
圣经并不是由一些零零碎碎的片段随意组成的，
36. The Bible is a systematic and organized plan
圣经是有系统的，经过刻意的策划和组织写成的。
37. The Bible is the revelation of what God has done
圣经启示了神在历史中的作为，
38. What God is doing
也启示了神目前所做的，
39. And what God will do in the future
更启示了神将来所要做的。
40. And if you miss that point you miss the whole Bible
如果你抓不住这个重点，你就不会明白整本圣经的意义，
41. And thus you miss the Christian faith all together
也因此而错失整个基督教信仰的精义。
42. While God has no beginning or end
神是无始无终的，
43. We humans and the earth do have a beginning and an end
但人类和地球却有开始和结束。
44. While God has no starting or finishing point
神没有起点和终点，
45. We humans and our planet do
人类和地球却有。
46. The Bible begins with a garden on earth called Eden
圣经一开始就提到，地球上有一个花园，名叫伊甸园。
47. And the Bible ends with a garden city coming down from heaven
圣经的结尾说到，一座从天而降的花园城市。
48. The Bible begins with a beautiful exquisite garden called Eden
圣经以优美的伊甸园为开始，
49. And the Bible ends with a far more exquisite city called the New Jerusalem
最后结束在一座更华丽更优雅的新耶路撒冷城。
50. The Bible begins with a wedding between a man and a woman
圣经由一男一女的结合为开始，
51. And it ends with a symbolic wedding between the bridegroom who is the Lord Jesus Christ
最后结束在一场具有象征性的婚礼上，其中的新郎就是耶稣基督，
52. And the bride which is the church of Jesus Christ
新娘则是基督的教会。
53. Who is the church?
教会是谁？
54. The church is the multitudes of believers from every tribe and every nation and every tongue
教会就是世上各国、各民、各族所有基督徒的集合体。
55. So the Bible begins with Adam and Eve who were placed as Gods deputies in the garden
圣经一开始就提到亚当和夏娃，他们是神在伊甸园里所委派的代理人；
56. And the Bible ends with Jesus’ followers reigning and ruling with Him
而圣经的结尾则说到，跟随耶稣的人和祂一同掌权作王。
57. The Bible begins with a man and a woman in a place full of peace and tranquility and joy
圣经开始于一对男女住在充满和平、宁静和喜乐的花园里；
58. And the Bible ends with a place of greater peace greater tranquility and greater joy
圣经也结束在一个更加平静喜乐之处。
59. But between the beginning and the end of the Bible
然而在圣经的起首和结尾之间，
60. There are a whole lot of things that happen
发生了许多事情。
61. In the next few broadcasts we will see how man chooses a city over against God’s garden
在接下来的节目中，我们要看看人类如何选择了城市，却舍弃神的花园。
62. We will see how man became deceived
我们将看到人被蒙蔽，
63. And instead of being contented to serve as the vice regent
不甘心担任掌权者的助手，
64. He wanted to be the regent
却妄想成为掌权者，
65. Instead of obedience
拒绝服从。
66. They chose rebellion
他们宁愿反叛，
67. Instead of submission
拒绝顺服。
68. They chose to usurp God’s authority
他们宁愿篡夺神的权势，
69. Instead of being the creature
否认自己是被造的，
70. They wanted to be the creator
他们妄称自己是创造主。
71. In this series of messages we will contrast the garden with the city
在这系列的谈话中，我们要把城市和花园作个对比。
72. We will contrast the peace and tranquility of the garden of God
我们会比较神花园里的宁静，
73. With the discontentment of the city of man
和人类城市中的空虚不满。
74. It is very important to go back to the beginning
一切得从头说起，这是很重要的。
75. Why?
为什么呢？
76. Because for the believer the end of time as we know it is linked to the beginning of time as we know it
因为，身为基督徒，我们深信“末世”与“创世”有着密切的关系。
77. Please turn with me to the book of Genesis chapter 2 beginning at verse 8 all the way to verse 17
请翻开圣经创世记第二章，我们要从第8节读到第17节。
78. When the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to pen these words of Genesis
当圣灵感动摩西写下创世记时，
79. Moses was in Mount Sinai
那时，摩西在西乃山上。
80. So the location of the Garden of Eden was east of Mount Sinai where Moses physically was
可见，相对于摩西当时的所在地，伊甸园应该是位于西乃山的东边。
81. And that is why it says, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east of Eden”
正如圣经的叙述：“神在东方的伊甸立了一个园子”。
82. From where Moses was at the time of writing of these words
当摩西写这句话时，从他所在的地方来看，
83. Eden was located somewhere across the Arabian desert
伊甸园就位于阿拉伯沙漠的另一边。
84. Eden was toward the area known as the Valley of Tigers and Euphrates
伊甸园大约的位置，就是在底格里斯河与幼发拉底河的河谷里。
85. There are two other rivers mentioned here in Genesis
创世记还提到另外两条河，
86. Pishon and Gihon
就是比逊河与基训河，
87. These two rivers do not exist anymore
这两条河已不复存在。
88. Some scholars have suggested that they were destroyed by the flood of Noah
有些学者认为，这两条河在挪亚时代的大洪水时被毁。
89. What is so important about the garden
这座园子的重要性是什么呢？
90. There are three very important things about the Garden of Eden
伊甸园的重要性有三方面。
91. You must remember them as we begin today
你要记住……从今天开始，
92. And as we go on to contrast the garden of God with the city of man in the next few broadcasts
直到在以后几次的节目中，当我们连续的谈到神的花园和人类城市的比较时，
93. Number 1
第一，
94. It was picturesque
伊甸园的景色如画。
95. Number 2
第二，
96. It was a place of provision
伊甸园有神的供应。
97. Number 3
第三，
98. It was a place of protection
伊甸园有神的保护。
99. We will begin by looking at the picturesque quality of Eden
首先让我们来看第一点：伊甸园如画般的美景。
SECTION B
乙部
1. To say that the garden was exquisitely beautiful is an understatement
以“优美”来形容这座花园是不足够的。
2. As God created every part of this planet He called it good
当神创造世上的万物时，祂都说，是美好的。
3. You know when you watch the sun rise or the sun set
你知道，当你观赏日出或日落的美景，
4. Or view another magnificent place of nature anywhere in the world
或在世界各地欣赏大自然壮观的景色时，
5. We find ourselves awestruck
我们情不自禁的肃然起敬。
6. We talk about how beautiful nature is
我们谈论着自然界何其美丽，
7. We talk about how magnificent the scene is
我们谈论着景色多么壮观。
8. But for Adam and Eve
但神为亚当和夏娃，
9. God poured out His most creative magnificence into the Garden of Eden
全力以赴精心设计了极其壮丽的伊甸园。
10. For Adam and Eve
神为亚当和夏娃，
11. God poured out beauty beyond measure and comprehension
独具匠心的创造出脱俗超凡无可比拟的美。
12. But just as pollution spoils much of the beauty of God’s magnificent creation today
可惜，正如今日环境的污染，大大的破坏了神美妙的创造。
13. When sin entered into that beautiful garden it spoiled the beauty of holiness
当罪恶进入优美的伊甸园时，圣洁之美也随之破坏殆尽。
14. When the sin of disobedience and stubbornness entered into the garden
当违背命令与顽梗的罪进入伊甸园时，
15. It turned it from a garden to a garbage dump
花园变成了垃圾堆。
16. When the sin of self aggrandizement enter into the garden
当自我膨胀、骄傲自大的罪进入伊甸园时，
17. It transformed its environment into a toxic waste dump
花园变成了有毒废料的弃置站。
18. When sin of rebellion entered into the garden
当叛逆的罪进入伊甸园时，
19. It poisoned the atmosphere with its poisonous gas
毒气污染了整个花园清新的空气，
20. And beauty turned into ashes
美丽化为灰烬。
21. Sin always turns simplicity into complexity
罪恶往往化简为繁，
22. Sin turns innocence into shame
罪恶化纯真为羞耻，
23. Sin turns purity and perfection into cynicism
罪恶把纯洁和完美变成了愤世嫉俗，
24. Sin turns joy into drudgery
罪恶把喜乐变为单调枯燥。
25. But until sin entered the garden it was a picturesque place
但在罪恶进入伊甸园之前，那真是个如诗如画美丽的境界。
26. Tune in next time and I will tell you more about other characteristics about the Garden of Eden
请记得收听下次的节目，我将告诉你有关伊甸园其他方面的特点。
27. I will also tell you about the new garden available to us right now
我还要告诉你有关现在就赐给我们，使我们能享受的新的花园。
28. This garden is available to us because of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
我们之所以得享这花园，是因着耶稣基督在十字架上所流的宝血。
29. Until then I wish you God’s richest blessing
愿神大大的赐福给你，下次时间再会。
