將要來的王─啟示錄
我們持續來研讀啟示錄一章7節：
看哪，祂駕雲降臨！眾目要看見祂，連刺祂的人也要看見祂；地上的萬族都要因祂哀哭。這話是真實的。阿們！
正如主在雲彩中上升，祂將駕雲降臨。毫無疑問這些雲正是字面所說的雲，就像聖經所提到的每一件事都是如實的，但同時也有其屬靈含意與信息。
許多聖經象徵符號在不同情況確實有著不同意義，這並非要混淆神真理的尋求者，乃是要我們倚靠聖靈來帶領我們進入所有真理。原則與慣例的確很有幫助，但我們若開始倚靠它們而非聖靈，反而有可能會誤導我們。
瞭解主再回來方式的關鍵記載在使徒行傳一章9-11節，當祂被接升天之時：
說了這話，他們正看的時候，祂就被取上升，有一朵雲彩把祂接去，便看不見祂了。當祂往上去，他們定睛望天的時候，忽然有兩個人身穿白衣，站在旁邊，說：加利利人哪，你們為什麼站著望天呢？這離開你們被接升天的耶穌，你們見祂怎樣往天上去，祂還要怎樣來。
正如有一朵雲彩把祂接上去，當祂回來時，祂『還要怎樣來』。再次，這就是字面的意思，但也有對祂回來之時的啟示。在聖經中雲彩通常指著混亂，特別是列國的混亂，我們可以預期耶穌回來時將是很類似的時候。聖經還有其他預言可證實此，以下不過是其中一些經文：
密雲將祂遮蓋，使祂不能看見；祂周遊穹蒼（參考約伯記22:14）。
祂以黑暗為藏身之處，以水的黑暗、天空的厚雲為祂四圍的行宮（參考詩篇18:11）。
密雲和幽暗在祂的四圍…（參考詩篇97:2）。
因為耶和華的日子臨近，就是密雲之日，列國受罰之期（參考以西結書30:3）。
我在夜間的異象中觀看，見有一位像人子的，駕著天雲而來…（參考但以理書7:13）。
你們要看見人子坐在那權能者的右邊，駕著天上的雲降臨（參考馬太福音26:64）。
我們將看見『天上的雲』不同於地上的雲，祂再來時兩者都有，但我們未來才會更深瞭解天上的雲，正如這些雲是主自己的藏身之處。
我們也要學習在列國的烏雲或混亂中來尋找祂。在列國混亂與混淆的地上政策背後還有許多事物，通常都是被神所做之事攪動的黑暗勢力所為，牠們想要遮蓋或淹沒神的計畫，正如在啟示錄十二章提到魔鬼的詭計就是用洪水來淹沒教會。重點是當列國有極大的攪動時，我們必須學習尋找神正在做什麼。
當祂升天時還有另一個重要事實，就是祂忠心的跟隨著『定睛』於祂。當祂回來時同樣如此─祂忠心的跟隨者將『定睛』於祂。祂的子民常為這世代的許多事情忙碌著，祂賜給祂子民行許多善工，但最終一切都關乎耶穌。
主一升天沒多久，祂的跟隨者討論的焦點在於祂要來的國度，這也會成為祂回來時祂忠心跟隨者的焦點。此信息將引到末世，正如我們將在啟示錄其他地方看到此確證。
兩位天使對門徒說的話也很重要：『你們為什麼站著望天呢？』天使向門徒確保主會再次回來，就像他們看祂怎樣上去一樣，但此言外之意是：『你們現在沒有別的事做嗎？』他們有，他們的工作才剛開始，而且必須從最重要的根基開始─所以他們回到耶路撒冷，致力於禱告。
這就是祂離去時的情況，祂回來時也將如此。這世代的偉大事工始於祂的子民和睦同居，致力禱告，這將是末世的景象─祂的百姓合一、禱告。何不從現在就開始呢？
(摘自喬納 word for the week,Week8, 2016)
The Coming King—The Book of Revelation
Week 8, 2016
Rick Joyner
We continue our study with Revelation1:7:
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
Just as the Lord ascended into the clouds, He will return through the clouds. No doubt these clouds are literal, but as with virtually everything literal in Scripture, there is also a spiritual significance and message.
Many biblical symbols have different meanings in different situations. This is not meant to confuse seekers of God’s truth, but rather to keep us dependent on His Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. Principles and formulas can be helpful, but they can mislead us if we start to depend on them in place of the Holy Spirit.
A key to understanding the manner in which the Lord will return is found in Acts 1:9-11, when He ascended:
After He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
Just as a cloud received Him as He ascended, He will come “the same way” through the clouds when He returns. Again, this is literal but also a revelation of the times He will return in. Since clouds often speak of confusion in Scripture, especially the confusion of nations, we can expect this to be in a similar time. Other prophecies of Scripture corroborate this. Here are just a few:
“Clouds are a hiding place for Him…” (see Job 22:14).
“He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies” (Psalm 18:11).
“Clouds and thick darkness surround Him...” (see Psalm 97:2).
"For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time for the nations” (Ezekiel 30:3).
“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming…” (see Daniel 7:13).
“Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (see Matthew 26:64).
As we will see, there is a difference between the “clouds of heaven” and the clouds of the earth. His coming will have both, but we will go deeper into understanding the clouds of heaven later, as these are the ones He has now hidden Himself in.
We should also learn to look for Him in the clouds, or confusion, of nations. There is much more behind the chaos and confusion of nations than earthly politics. Often this is the result of powers of darkness being stirred by what God is doing. They seek to obscure or drown it out, such as the devil’s tactic to drown the church in Revelation 12 with a flood. The point is that when there is a great stirring of nations, we must learn to look for what God is doing.
Another important factor when He ascended was that His faithful followers were “gazing intently” after Him. The same will be true when He returns—His faithful followers will be “gazing intently” at Him. His people have been busy with many things during this age, the good things that He gave His people to do, but at the end it will be all about Jesus.
The focus of His followers’ discussion just before He ascended was the coming of His kingdom, and this will be a focus of His faithful ones when He returns. This message will lead up to the end of the age, just as we will see corroborated in other places in Revelation.
The comment of the two angelic messengers to the disciples is also important, “Why do you stand looking into the sky?” They assure the disciples that He will return again just like they saw Him go, but the implication is, “Don’t you have something else to do now?” They did. Their work was just beginning. It had to begin on the most important foundation—so they returned to Jerusalem where they dedicated themselves to prayer.
This is how He left, and it will be how He returns. The great work of this age began with His people dwelling together in unity as they devoted themselves to prayer, and this is how it will end—His people in unity, praying. Why not get started?