[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1614958238906{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]We are privileged to be living in times when the eyes of the Church are being opened once again to the Jewish roots of our faith and to the elder brother that we have in the Jewish people. For far too long our two communities have been divided, splintered apart by the subversive actions of anti-Semitism and suspicion. But with God’s help we are discovering that our faith communities have more in common than what divides us – that our heritage is from the same root and that we are forever connected in the heart of God’s purpose.

作为外邦人，以色列的上帝邀请我们进去体验他的房屋的美好，顾名思义，这是在以色列人民中建立的祈祷之家。几个世纪以来，自从摩西会幕中的利未人时代起，犹太人就在神的面前照看着敬拜和祷告的火焰。上帝的设计是，他们对他的盟约的遵守将为世界各国的祝福打开道路。

以赛亚预言了将要降临到外邦人身上的深远救赎，表明这是神从一开始就通过他的子民以色列计划的一部分。

“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant— even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:6-7

“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant— even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”  Isaiah 56:6-7[/mk_blockquote][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1614958337051{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]In this amazing passage of scripture, God declares that those from among the “sons of the foreigner” would be welcomed into His house, joined together with His covenant people to lift up joyful sacrifices in His house of prayer. To all those who draw near “to love the name of the Lord,” God says He will bring us to His holy mountain of Zion (Jerusalem) to participate in His Kingdom agenda of worship and prayer to call forth blessing to the world.

和以赛亚书56章一样，以弗所书2:12也说到，在基督之前，我们这些外邦人是离约的外邦人，"从以色列的公国中是外邦人，从应许之约中是外邦人"。但通过耶稣，我们得到了救赎，重新与信仰的根基相连。神正在从犹太人和外邦人中创造"一个新人"（以弗所书2:15），就像他应许的那样。而这一切都与祂在地上兴起的祷告之家联系在一起。

那么，到底什么是万民祈祷之家呢？

房子"是一个居住的地方--而神的房子是由他的子民组成的，他们共同成为他的居所。正如诗人大卫所写。

“But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3, KJV

所以，无论神的子民在哪里聚集在一起赞美祂，祂都应许在他们中间。

然而，也有一个具体的物理场所，上帝为他的子民设置了聚集的地方，作为对他话语的实现，那就是耶路撒冷城。每年三次，以色列人民会根据上帝的命令聚集在耶路撒冷，在耶和华的节日期间在那里的圣殿里敬拜祂。今天，每年的每一天，我们都能发现敬拜者，包括犹太人和外邦人，在西墙祈祷和敬拜，那里曾经是圣殿的所在地。

作为一种比枯燥的任务更重要的表达方式，来自全球各地的数百万朝圣者通过聚集在耶路撒冷以几十种不同的语言祈祷，找到了快乐。现在，通过为耶路撒冷和平祈祷日、唤醒耶路撒冷和每年都举行的住棚节等现代庆祝活动，我们确实看到以赛亚书第56章在世界各国的参与下，在这个历史时刻得到了应验。

神不仅将世界各地的基督徒的目光和心灵转向以色列的核心重要性，而且随着这一点的发生，祂也在全世界释放祂所说的喜乐，因为我们在精神和物质上都回到了以耶路撒冷为中心的神的家。

现在是我们信徒成为经文中预言的"万国"的一部分的时候了，也是经历神在这个时刻在祂的子民中释放的喜乐的时候了。赞美神所做的事，让我们在这历史性的日子里，作为祂的子民一起前进吧!