那些與耶和華聯合的外邦人，是誰呢？（賽56章）

還有那些與耶和華聯合的外邦人、要事奉他、要愛耶和華的名、要作他的僕人、就是凡守安息日不干犯、又持守他〔原文作我〕約的人．我必領他們到我的聖山、使他們在禱告我的殿中喜樂．他們的燔祭、和平安祭、在我壇上必蒙悅納．因我的殿必稱為萬民禱告的殿。（賽 56：6-7）

天父真神不做無聊的事，因祂每件事都在創世以前就已規劃。本章是神藉以賽亞先知在西元前七百年左右，南朝猶大國希西家王時代所做的預言。這樣的預言一定令當時的選民，也就是猶大人莫名其妙：耶和華真神是我們的神，祂怎麼會想要跟外邦人聯合？

本章直言不諱，也毫無隱瞞，直接開宗明義預告神要揀選「非猶太人」成為祂的屬靈選民。這已經應驗在西元三十年到一百年左右福音傳到以色列本土以外的使徒教會，更是在預言末後的真教會，也就是真耶穌教會，福音將要傳到全球。

當臺灣、甚至世界各地在推動基督教合一運動的時候，真耶穌教會無法參與合一，答案就在這章經文中。神明說：「那些與耶和華聯合的外邦人、要事奉他、要愛耶和華的名、要作他的僕人、就是凡守安息日不干犯、又持守他〔原文作我〕約的人。」也就是教會要合一，當在真理中合一，不是只是因為信耶穌就合一。而且，合一不是人說的算，而是神說的才算。神明定真與祂聯合的外邦人，基本條件就是要「守安息日不干犯」。光這個問題，就是百分之九十九以上的自稱為基督教會的教會所干犯的，因為不守星期六的安息聖日，直接證明自己與這應許絕緣。

安息日，是星期六，可以的話，從星期五晚上日落之後，就預備心進入安息。當以色列人出埃及時，神就直接宣布祂要作守安息日的人的神，所以有這守安息日的動作，就是證明自己是屬於真神的人、也是今天真教會能得救的直接證據：

耶和華曉諭摩西說：「你要吩咐以色列人說、你們務要守我的安息日、因為這是你我之間世世代代的證據、使你們知道我耶和華是叫你們成為聖的。所以你們要守安息日、以為聖日、凡干犯這日的、必要把他治死．凡在這日作工的、必從民中剪除。六日要作工、但第七日是安息聖日、是向耶和華守為聖的、凡在安息日作工的、必要把他治死。故此、以色列人要世世代代守安息日為永遠的約。這是我和以色列人永遠的證據、因為六日之內耶和華造天地、第七日便安息舒暢。（出 31：15-17）

即使今天已是真耶穌教會的我們，若在星期六安息日這天，還安排去旅遊、補習，或是雖是自主性的工作卻去賺錢，就是自己證明不屬於神的人，自證與永生絕緣不能得救。但若切實去遵守，即使少讀一些書、少賺一些錢、少了一些享樂，神卻要大大祝福：

謹守安息日而不干犯、禁止己手而不作惡．如此行、如此持守的人、便為有福。（賽 56：2）

聖經中的作惡，不是單指殺人放火，而是指一切不遵守天父旨意的人。所以不遵守安息日的人，就是主眼中的惡人。

凡稱呼我主阿、主阿的人、不能都進天國．惟獨遵行我天父旨意的人、纔能進去。........我就明明的告訴他們說、我從來不認識你們、你們這些作惡的人、離開我去罷！（太 7：21、23）

今天我們受洗進入真耶穌教會的人，又堅持遵守安息聖日，神必賜福。即使如同這裡提到的「太監」，本是注定沒有子嗣的人，在「留名」的這件事上，因無兒女注定要被世人遺忘，是極度悲慘絕望的人，但是只因與耶和華聯合，藉由祂的救恩，再加上自己願意堅守聖經真理，堅守安息聖日，雖然今生可能在肉體限制上沒有希望，但是神應許他們必在神的殿中、神國的牆內，有記念、有名號，有神所賜永遠的名，直到永遠。

與耶和華聯合的外邦人不要說：「耶和華必定將我從他民中分別出來．」太監也不要說：「我是枯樹。」因為耶和華如此說：「那些謹守我的安息日、揀選我所喜悅的事、持守我約的太監．我必使他們在我殿中、在我牆內、有記念、有名號、比有兒女的更美．我必賜他們永遠的名、不能剪除。」（賽 56：3-5）

今天，真教會就是神的聖山，是禱告必蒙垂聽的地方，是「萬民禱告的殿」。我們何等幸福被天父真神揀選，而這一切，早就在創世以前都已命定，何等奇妙！

就如神從創立世界以前、在基督裏揀選了我們、使我們在他面前成為聖潔、無有瑕疵．又因愛我們、就按着自己意旨所喜悅的、預定我們、藉着耶穌基督得兒子的名分。（弗 1：4-5）

你們得救是本乎恩、也因着信、這並不是出於自己、乃是神所賜的．也不是出於行為、免得有人自誇。（弗 2：8-9）

By Isaiah Kao

Who Are Those Foreigners-Join Themselves to the LORD ?(Isaiah 56)

June 17, 2026

“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, everyone who keeps from profaning the Sabbath and holds firmly to My covenant; I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isaiah 56:6–7, NASB )

God the Father does nothing without purpose. Everything He does was planned before the foundation of the world. This chapter contains a prophecy given through the prophet Isaiah around 700 B.C., during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah.Such a prophecy must have seemed puzzling to the chosen people of that time—the people of Judah. Jehovah was their God, so why would He want to unite Himself with foreigners?

This chapter speaks plainly and openly. From the very beginning, it foretells that God would choose ‘’non-Jews‘’ to become His spiritual people. This was fulfilled when the gospel spread beyond the land of Israel through the apostolic church between about A.D. 30 and 100. It also points forward to the True Jesus Church in the last days, when the gospel would be preached throughout the world.

When movements for Christian unity are promoted in Taiwan and around the world, the True Jesus Church cannot simply participate in unity. The answer is found in this chapter. God clearly says:

“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, everyone who keeps from profaning the Sabbath and holds firmly to My covenant.” In other words, the church must be united in truth, not merely because people believe in Jesus. Furthermore, unity is not determined by man; it is determined by God. God clearly states that one of the basic requirements for foreigners who join themselves to Him is to “keep from profaning the Sabbath.”

On this point alone, more than ninety-nine percent of those who call themselves Christian churches fall short, because they do not keep the Sabbath on Saturday. By not observing the Sabbath day, they demonstrate that they are outside this promise.

The Sabbath is Saturday. If possible, we should begin preparing our hearts after sunset on Friday evening and enter into the Sabbath rest. When Israel came out of Egypt, God clearly declared that He would be the God of those who keep the Sabbath. Therefore, keeping the Sabbath is evidence that a person belongs to the true God, and it is also direct evidence of salvation in the true church today:

“Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “You shall surely keep My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Therefore you shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a permanent covenant.” It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31:12–17, NASB 2020)

Even for us who are already members of the True Jesus Church, if we arrange sightseeing trips, attend extra classes, or engage in voluntary work for profit on the Sabbath day, we ourselves testify that we do not belong to God and separate ourselves from eternal life. But if we faithfully keep the Sabbath, even though we may study less, earn less money, or give up some earthly pleasures, God will richly bless us:

“How blessed is the person who does this, and the son of mankind who takes hold of it; who keeps from profaning the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” (Isaiah 56:2, NASB 2020)

In the Bible, evil does not refer only to crimes such as murder or arson. It refers to all who do not obey the will of the Heavenly Father. Therefore, those who do not keep the Sabbath are regarded by the Lord as evildoers.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ... And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21, 23, NASB 2020)

Today, those of us who have been baptized into the True Jesus Church and continue to keep the holy Sabbath will surely receive God's blessings.Even the “eunuchs” mentioned in this passage—people who had no hope of leaving descendants and who would naturally be forgotten by the world—were considered especially pitiful and hopeless. Yet because they joined themselves to the LORD, received His salvation, and were willing to hold firmly to biblical truth and faithfully keep the holy Sabbath, God gave them a wonderful promise.

Though they may have had no hope in terms of physical descendants in this life, God promised that they would have a memorial and a name within His house and within the walls of His kingdom. He would give them an everlasting name for ever.

“Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will certainly separate me from His people.’ Nor is the eunuch to say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For this is what the LORD says: ‘To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold firmly My covenant, to them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be eliminated.’” (Isaiah 56:3–5, NASB )

Today, the true church is God's holy mountain. It is the place where prayers are heard. It is truly “a house of prayer for all the peoples.”

How blessed we are to have been chosen by God the Father. And all of this was determined long before the foundation of the world. How marvelous it is!

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” (Ephesians 1:4–5, NASB 2020)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao