圣经中有神的创造，也有神的建造
圣经不光是给我们看见神的创造，也给我们看见神的建造。整本的圣经，可以说只有创世记开头一章半说了一点神的创造。从创世记第二章后半起，直到启示录末了，就一直说到神另外一面的工作，就是神的建造。在圣经的起头，说到天地万物都造齐了，这是神的创造；到圣经末了的时候，说到有一座城从天降下，是用各种宝石修饰而成的，这就是神的建造。在创世记第二章那里，我们是看见一个园子，在园子当中有生命树。那里一切的景色，都给你一个印象，叫你认识神的创造。但是到启示录末了的时候，你看见生命树所在的地方，不再是花园，乃是变作一座城；不再是花草树木那些创造的天然景色，乃是各种的宝石建造在一起而成功的一所建筑。
神的工作有创造，更有建造
圣经在起头是一种创造的光景，在末了是一种建造的光景。在起头是一个天然的花园，在末了是一座建造的城。在这一边你所看见的毫无建造，都是创造；在另一边你所看见的，是在创造的宇宙中有了一所彰显神荣耀的建筑物。所以我们看见圣经说到神的工作不只有创造，更有建造。并且神的创造只占圣经一章多，其余的都是说到神的建造。可见神的建造在圣经中乃是极其重要的一件事。
神的目的得以完成乃在于神的建造
创造是从无造出有来，是不用材料而创造出东西来。但建造就不同了，建造乃是用已经有的材料来建造成一所建筑物。在创造之先，原来是没有天，没有地，也没有万物，没有人类。神就进来，从无中创造出这些东西来。如果神只需要天地、万有、人类，那么当神把这一切都造好了，祂的目的就都达到了。这样，圣经以及宇宙间的故事就极其简单，只要到创世记第二章当中，一切就都完成了。但圣经给我们看见，神的创造并没有完成神的目的，神的创造完全是为着神下一步的工作，就是建造。创造乃是为着建造预备材料。神必须把祂所创造的人类再加以建造，然后祂的目的才能达到。所以创造并没有直接的完成神的目的；神的目的得以完成，乃是在于神的建造。
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God’s Creation and God’s Building – Gen. 2:8-9
The Bible not only shows us God’s creation, but also God’s building. In the entire Bible, it can be said that only the first chapter and a half of Genesis mentions something about God’s creation. From the second half of Genesis chapter 2 to the end of Revelation, it talks about another aspect of God’s work, which is God’s building. At the beginning of the Bible, the heavens, the earth and all things were created. This is God’s creation; At the end of the Bible, there is a city that comes down from heaven and is decorated with various precious stones. This is God’s building. In Genesis chapter 2, we see a garden, and in the middle of the garden was the tree of life. All the scenery there will give you an impression and help you understand God’s creation. But at the end of Revelation, the place where the tree of life is is no longer a garden, but has become a city; it is no longer a created natural scenery of flowers, plants and trees, but a building built together with a variety of precious stones.
God’s Work Involves Creation and Building
At the beginning of the Bible, there is a state of creation, and a state of building at the end. In the beginning there is a natural garden and in the end there is a built city. What you see on this side is nothing but creation; what you see on the other side is a building that manifests the glory of God in the created universe. Thus, the Bible says that God’s work is not only creation, but also building. Moreover, God’s creation only takes up more than one chapter in the Bible, and the rest is about God’s building. It can be seen that God’s building is an extremely important thing in the Bible.
The Fulfillment of God’s Purpose Depends on God’s Building
Creation is making something out of nothing, without using any material. But building is quite different, it uses existing materials to build. Before creation, there was no heaven, no earth, no living things and no human beings. God came in and created all of these out of nothing. If God only needs heaven and earth, all things and mankind, then when God had completed creating, His purpose should have been fulfilled. In this way, the story of the Bible and the universe is supposed to be simple. As long as we come to the second chapter of Genesis, everything should have been completed. But the Bible shows us that God’s creation did not fulfill God’s purpose. God’s creation was entirely for the next step of God’s work, which is building. Creation is the preparation of materials for the building. God must build up the human beings He created before His purpose can be fulfilled. Therefore, creation does not directly fulfill God’s purpose; the fulfillment of God’s purpose depends on God’s building.