【读圣经学英语】十二篮

这一章不仅表明主的微小，也表明主的丰富。仅仅五个饼就足以使五千人吃饱。剩下的十二篮，表征基督生命供应之丰富的满溢，给一千倍以上的人吃饱。五个饼给五千人吃饱，意思就是给一千倍的人吃饱。按照圣经，一千这数字表征完整的单位。例如，在主的院宇住一日，胜似在别处住千日。（诗八四10。）一千是完满的单位。所以五个饼能喂饱五千人，这启示出主是何其丰富，何其无限。群众要吃多少，就能吃多少，因为供应是无限的。甚至两条小鱼也够众人吃。

有十二篮的零碎剩下来。为什么不是剩下五篮，八篮，或十一篮？因为十二这数字表征永远的完整和永远的完全。这就是说，甚至零碎也是永远完满和永远完整的。甚至微小、零碎的基督也满了取用不竭的丰富。祂虽是这样微小，却是这样无限。你曾将祂的微小和无限相比吗？祂是小小的拿撒勒人，但祂一直喂养历世历代的人。祂从未减少。在给五千人吃饱以前，有五饼二鱼；在给五千人吃饱以后，剩下的有十二篮。所以，在给五千人吃饱以后，剩下的比原有的还多。这描绘出基督的丰富，因为群众吃饱之后，总有余剩。

二十个世纪以来，基督给千千万万的人吃饱。今天，祂仍是丰富的，因为还有满满的十二篮。我们需要启示，看见基督的微小，是何等丰富。就外形说，祂是五饼二鱼，但二十个世纪以来，有千千万万的人吃祂。祂还在这里，祂绝不会减少或穷尽。

Enlightenment:

This chapter not only brings out the smallness of the Lord, but also the richness of the Lord. Just five loaves are rich enough to feed five thousand people. The twelve baskets left over signify the overflow of the riches of Christ’s life supply, which fed people over one thousand times. That five loaves fed five thousand people means that it fed them one thousand times. According to the Scriptures, the number one thousand signifies a complete unit. For example, one day in the court of the Lord is better than a thousand (Psa. 84:10). One thousand is a full unit. Hence, five loaves can fill five thousand people. This reveals how rich and how unlimited the Lord is. The multitude could eat as much as they wanted, for the supply was unlimited. Even two little fishes were sufficient for all.

Twelve baskets of fragments were left over. Why were there not five, eight, or eleven baskets left over? Because the number twelve signifies eternal completeness and eternal perfectness. This means that even the fragments are eternally full and eternally complete. Even a small, fragmented Christ is full of a richness which can never be exhausted. He is so small and yet so unlimited. Have you ever compared His smallness with His unlimitedness? He is the little Nazarene, yet He has been feeding all of the generations. He has never been reduced. Before the feeding of the five thousand, there were five loaves and two fishes; after the feeding of the five thousand, there were twelve baskets left over. Therefore, after the feeding of the five thousand, more surplus remained than what was there originally. This portrays the richness of Christ, for there is always something left over after the multitude has been fed.

For twenty centuries, Christ has been feeding thousands upon thousands of people. Today, He is still rich, for there are still twelve baskets full. We need the revelation of the richness of the smallness of Christ. In form, He is the five loaves and the two fishes, yet thousands and thousands of people have been eating Him for twenty centuries. And He is still here. He can never be reduced or exhausted.