於2016-07-03發佈


教會時期的七階段─啟示錄

我寫作的一個目標,是將我花許多小時,有時是許多年研讀的東西,濃縮給那些沒有那麼多時間研讀的人。即便如此,我知道有許多人喜歡自己深入研究,我很欣賞他們,但在這裡我想要簡短分享一些研讀啟示錄的最佳來源。

『初代教父』是對那些早期基督教會領袖的稱號,他們早在第一世紀到第四世紀間的尼西亞大公會議(Council of Nicaea)之前。許多初代教父的文章現在還可以找到,正如他們有些人直接是主十二門徒的門徒,我們知道他們是最好的教師。愛任紐(Irenaeus)是彼得的門徒,他是維多利諾,畢多主教(Victorinus, Bishop of Pettau)的老師。今日仍可以讀到維多利諾當時所寫關於啟示錄的最早內容,他聲稱在啟示錄的七個教會涵蓋整個時期的所有教會:就是所有時期的天主教(全體)教會,這也是我們在這裡研讀這些教會的亮光。

維多利諾寫說使徒保羅是第一個教導七個教會會跨越整個時期的人,他說這即是何以保羅將他的書信寫給七間教會,雖然他們並不是啟示錄中主所提到的相同教會。提卡諾斯(Tichaenius)在第四紀也教導相同的東西,還有卡帕多奇亞的阿拉特斯(Arethas of Cappadocia),亞卓邁圖姆的皮里滿西斯(Primasius of Adrumetum),以及後來的梅得(Mede)、摩爾(More)和葛得史東(Girdlestone),以及許多其他的早期教師。

偉大的物理家牛頓也持有啟示錄的七個教會,如同整個教會時期先知性圖畫的看法,儘管他是一個非凡的科學家和數學家,但他最大的熱情在於瞭解聖經預言,特別是啟示錄一書。牛頓也和許多拉比一樣相信『聖經密碼』。

相信啟示錄所提出的七個教會代表整個教會時期,是基於在聖經中七這個數字代表『完成』或『完全』。顯然主的信息所傳達的遠大於這七個教會,好幾個教會在約翰領受啟示錄後都已不存在,他們被使用就像是賜給全球教會的先知性密碼。

就像是典型的聖經預言,每個教會代表歷史將揭開的一個時期。然而,這些時期的長度並不一致或均勻,有些持續了好幾世紀,有些則更久。觀看這些成功時期的關鍵,在於看見一個特別時期所發生之事所帶來全球性教會的改變。此外,正如聖經預言的其他時期,這些時期有時會重疊。每一個時期未必有帶來改變的明顯時刻。

一些聖經學者認為耶路撒冷、安提阿、君士坦丁堡與羅馬是給予基督教定義的最重要教會,卻沒有在啟示錄中被提到,是因為這七個教會有其先知性的重要性。正如先前所提到,雖然當約翰領受啟示時,這七個教會真實存在,卻是微不足道、似乎無足輕重。但因著他們被使用的方式,每個教會皆給予全球教會非凡的貢獻。這應當讓我們瞭解到,主愛使用微小、似乎無足輕重的人、運動或教會來成就大事。因此,我們應該看待一切都很重要,無論他們是否以此方式被使用。

我有超過四十年的時間與許多不同教會和運動配搭的經驗,使我不得不相信許多新教會經歷啟示錄七個教會所代表的的不同時期。我也目睹許多個體隨著在主裡的成熟,經歷著相同的時期。正如這在聖經中是常見的,此模式可以被應用在任何層級。

當我們繼續此研讀,讓我們想一想這些話語與這些教會之間的轉變要如何應用在您、您的教會或其他您所認識的人身上。這些賜給教會的信息,是為了幫助我們的旅程成為並做主呼召我們去做之事。

 (摘自喬納 word for the week,Week23, 2016)

 

Seven Phases of the Church Age—The Book of Revelation
Week 23, 2016
Rick Joyner

         One goal I have for my writings is to take what I acquired from many hours, sometimes years, of study and condense it for those without the time for such research. Even so, knowing and appreciating that many like to go deeper with their own research, I would like to briefly share some great sources for studying Revelation.

         The “Early Church Fathers” is a title given to the leaders of the Christian church before the Council of Nicaea, which took place early in the fourth century. Many of the Early Church Fathers’ writings are still available. As several were the direct disciples of the twelve disciples of the Lord, we know they had some of the best teachers. Irenaeus was a direct disciple of Peter, and Irenaeus was a teacher of Victorinus, Bishop of Pettau. Victorinus’ writings on Revelation are some of the earliest available today. He asserted that the seven churches in Revelation “are meant to comprise all the churches in the world (age): that is the church Catholic (universal) of all ages.” It is in this light that we will also study them here.

         Victorinus wrote that the Apostle Paul was the first to teach that seven churches would span this age. He said that this is why Paul wrote his epistles to seven churches, although they were not the same ones the Lord addressed in Revelation. Tichaenius taught the same thing in the fourth century, and also Arethas of Cappadocia, Primasius of Adrumetum, Vitringa, and later Mede, More, Girdlestone, and a large body of other early teachers.

         The great physicist Newton also held this view of the seven churches in Revelation as a prophetic picture of the entire church age. Although a remarkable scientist and mathematician, his greatest passion was to understand biblical prophecy, especially the Book of Revelation. Newton was also a believer in “the Bible code” that many rabbis believed to be in the Scriptures.

         The belief that the seven churches addressed in Revelation represent the whole church age is based on seven as the number for “completion” or “whole” in Scripture. It is apparent that the message the Lord conveyed was more than these seven literal churches, many of which did not continue to exist after John received the revelation. They were used as code for the prophecy given to the universal church.

         As is typical with biblical prophecy, each church represented a period that would unfold in history. However, these time periods were not consistent or uniform. Some were just a couple of centuries in length and some much longer. A key to seeing these successive ages is to see what happened in a particular period that brought universal change to the church. Also, as with other times in biblical prophecy, these periods sometimes overlapped. There is not always a distinct point at which the change takes place.

         Another point some biblical scholars considered is that Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, and Rome, the most important churches that gave definition to Christianity, are not mentioned in Revelation. The churches addressed were chosen because of their prophetic significance. As mentioned, although seven literal churches existed when John received the revelation, most were small and seemingly insignificant. Yet they each made a remarkable contribution to the church universal because of how they were used. This should give us the understanding that the Lord loves to use the small, seemingly insignificant person, movement, or church to do great things. So we should treat all as significant, whether they are used this way or not.

         I have spent over forty years interfacing with many different churches and movements and have come to believe that many, if not most, new churches pass through the phases represented by the seven churches in Revelation. I have also watched individuals traverse through the same phases as they mature in the Lord. As is often true with Scripture, this pattern can be applied on any level.

         As we continue this study, consider how these words and the transitions between the churches may apply to you, your church, or others you know. These messages to the churches are intended to be practical to help us on our journey to be and do what the Lord has called us to.