伊甸园中不仅有生命树和生命河，也有一些贵重的金子、珍珠和红玛瑙。这说出生命树和生命河水的涌流，其结果乃是产生贵重的材料。这些金子、珍珠和红玛瑙是用来作什么的呢？乃是用来建造神的居所。在启示录里，我们看见同样的一幅图画：圣城新耶路撒冷由神那里从天而降，这城的基地是金的，城墙是宝石，而城门是珍珠门。这些贵重的材料，在创世记中是散在园子里；到了启示录，这些材料被建造成为一座城。
一堆材料如何成为一座城呢？保罗告诉我们，教会是用金、银和宝石来建造的。而教会是所有蒙救赎之人的组成，这组成是个建筑。因此，我们这些神所救赎的人，就是祂属灵建筑的材料。我们原本是用土造的，是属土的。然而借着我们吃主这生命树，喝主这生命河的水，这神圣生命的水流，就要把神圣的性情更多的加给我们。将我们这属土的人，变化成为金子、珍珠和宝石。
今天，教会生活就是生命的园子。在教会生活中，我们有基督作为生命树和生命的活水，供我们吃喝并享受。当我们这样在教会生活中，吃喝享受基督，我们不仅在吃生命树，我们更成为基督这葡萄树上的枝子。主曾应许我们，我们若住在主里面，主也住在我们里面，这人就多结果子（约十五5）。主也应许我们，我们若吃祂喝祂，祂就要成为活水的江河，从我们里面涌流出来。这活水如同伊甸园中的四道河，要流到地的四方，供应我们四周的人，使那些干渴的人，可以得着活水的滋润。我们还要被变化，成为金子、珍珠和宝石，满有三一神神圣的生命和性情，成为建造神居所贵重的材料。
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Precious Materials – Gold Pearl and Gemstones – Gen. 2:11-12
In the Garden of Eden, there were not only the tree of life and the river of life, but also some precious materials: gold, pearl and onyx stone. This shows that the result of the flowing of the tree of life and the river of life is the production of precious materials. What are these gold, pearls and onyx stones for? They are for building God’s dwelling place. In the book of Revelation, we see the same picture: the holy city, New Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven from God. The foundation of the city is made of gold, the wall is built with precious stones, and the gates are pearl gates. These precious materials, which were scattered in the garden in Genesis, are built into a city in Revelation.
How does a pile of materials become a city? Paul tells us that the church is built with gold, silver and precious stones. And the church is constituted by all the redeemed ones, and this constitute is a building. Therefore, we who are redeemed by God are the materials of His spiritual building. We were originally made of dust, earthly in nature. But by eating the Lord as the tree of life and drinking the water of the river of life, the flow of this divine life adds more of God’s divine nature into us. This transforms us, who are earthly, into gold, pearl and precious stones.
Today, the church life is the garden of life. In the church life, we have Christ as the tree of life and the living water of life for our eating, drinking and enjoyment. As we eat and drink and enjoy Christ in the church life, we are not only eating the tree of life — we also become branches of Christ, the vine. The Lord promised that if we abide in Him and He in us, we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). He also promised that if we eat and drink Him, He will become rivers of living water flowing out from within us. These living waters, like the four rivers in the Garden of Eden, will reach out to the four corners of the earth, supplying those around us, so that those who are thirsty can be nourished by the living water. We will also be transformed into gold, pearl and precious stones — full of the divine life and nature of the Triune God — becoming the precious materials for building God’s dwelling place.