於2017-09-28發佈


測量聖殿─啟示錄  

有一根葦子賜給我,當作量度的杖,且有話說:起來!將神的殿和祭壇,並在殿中禮拜的人都量一量。

只是殿外的院子要留下不用量,因為這是給了外邦人的;他們要踐踏聖城四十二個月(啟示錄11:1-2)。 

上週我們提到測量祭壇的意思,或是測量十字架與在殿中敬拜的人。這週我們將要檢視測量聖殿的意思。 

在此啟示揭開之時,我們應當預期基督徒領袖的重大運動,將與教會美好目的與潛能有關。這包括比較現在教會與神最初所設計的教會,其將引至看見教會成為神最初設計樣式的偉大運動。儘管一直有人在這麼做,到了1948年卻戲劇性地加速前進。 

首先,我們應當先思想就算教會在如此軟弱分裂的狀態,可能連其所呼召的百分之十都達不到,教會仍是地上在社會與文化影響方面最強大的實體。近來教會可能在美國和歐洲失去許多影響力,但卻在世界其他地方戲劇化成長。若教會恢復到所呼召的百分之二十,不斷朝著神所要的方式前進,會發生什麼呢?我們將經歷全球的復興,被稱為『大收割』。 

無論瞭解與否、喜歡與否,教會是主在這世代與要來世代在地上行祂旨意的運載工具─我們是祂在地上的附屬器官。聖經上祂沒有使用其他運載工具。就像大衛王在這方面學得很辛苦,我們可能以為我們的新牛車可以將祂的榮耀帶回給祂的百姓,但那是很危險的推測。祂的榮耀必須扛抬在祂所任命祭司的肩膀上(權柄)。 

我們可以預期會有一個偉大運動來評估聖殿─教會,看到她完全恢復到最初被創造的樣式。如此運動的種子已被許多偉大教師所栽種,從1948年的春雨復興運動開始。有些人從那運動轉向形形色色的極端教義,但在許多神的復興或運動中都會有這樣的事發生。似乎當一個復興或運動被使用來重建一項重要真理時,都會發生這樣的情況,在春雨復興運動中也發生了。 

此復興運動的核心教導是關於新約教會被呼召成為的樣式,特別是在所有聖靈的恩賜與職事中運作。大能的先知與教師在復興中被興起,影響整個基督身體幾十年之久,也為許多大能的運動預備舞台,影響教會直到如今。 

再一次,教會被稱為主的身體,因為它是主找到與工作的運載工具。祂不需要教會也可以做一切祂想要做的事,祂卻選擇不這麼做。教會也被稱為祂的新婦、祂的妻子,祂的教會成為祂配得的新婦是這世代的主要目的。主用祂的寶血贖回全地,祂可以一復活後立刻以權柄接管。然而,祂卻長久等待來使用這世代,好為祂的新婦『訓練來掌權』。 

新郎的真正朋友會全力擺上為要看見新婦為萬王之王預備好,我們可以預期測量教會會越來越多,並成為祂子民的主要擺上。當此發生時,我們將看見教會會成為她所蒙召的樣式。 

給了列國(外邦人)的四十二個月加起來共有1260天,這個數字在啟示錄不斷重複。在以西結書四章6節,主說祂讓一日頂一年。在先知性象徵符號中,一天通常代表一年。正如我們之前有談到,羅馬皇帝下令賜給羅馬主教對教會的權柄,一直到拿破崙終結此命令中間剛好是1260年。 

在拿破崙頒佈命令之時,許多運動開始將教會體制恢復成最初的設計。幾乎每當教會結構與次序被恢復時,教會便產生另一個重大進展。事實上,假教會(奧秘的巴比倫)和神真實教會與聖殿(新耶路撒冷)之間的對比,便是啟示錄的重要主題,下週我們會繼續來看。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week,Week34, 2017) 

 
Measuring the Temple—The Book of Revelation
Week 34, 2017
Rick Joyner

         “Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.

         “Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months” (Revelation 11:1-2).

         Last week we addressed what it could mean to measure the altar—or the cross—and the people who worshipped in the temple. This week we will examine what it could mean to measure the temple.

         In the timing of this unfolding revelation, we should expect a major movement with Christian leaders considering the awesome purpose and potential of the church. This would include comparing what it is to what it was designed to be, which would lead to a great movement to see the church become what God designed it to be. There have always been some who have done this, but it accelerated dramatically in 1948.

         First, we should consider that even in its weakened and divided state, probably operating at less than 10% of what it is called to be, the church is the most powerful entity on the planet for social and cultural influence. It may have lost much influence in the U.S. and Europe in recent times, but it has grown dramatically in almost every other part of the world. What would happen if the church recovered just 20% of what it’s called to be and moved relentlessly to become all that God intended? We would experience a worldwide revival called “the harvest.”

         Understand it or not, like it or not, the church is the vehicle through which the Lord will do His work on the earth in this age and the age to come. He called the church His “body”—we are His appendages on the earth. There is no other vehicle named in Scripture that He will use. Like King David learned the hard way, we may think that our new ox cart will be what brings the glory of God back to His people, but that is a dangerous presumption. His glory must be carried on the shoulders (authority) of the priests that He appointed to carry it.

         We can expect a great movement to evaluate the temple, the church, and see her restored to all she was created to be. The seeds of such a movement have been sown by great teachers, beginning with the Latter Rain Revival of 1948. Some from that movement veered off into the extremes of various doctrines, but that has happened with many revivals or moves of God. This seems to be the case particularly when a revival or movement is being used to restore an important truth to the church, which this Latter Rain Revival did.

         The core teachings of this revival were about what the New Covenant church was called to be, especially in the operation of all of the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit. Powerful prophets and teachers were raised up in the revival that impacted the whole body of Christ for decades to come. These set the stage for many of the powerful movements that have impacted the church since.

         Again, the church is called the Lord’s body because it is the vessel He is found in and works through. He could do anything He wanted without the church, but He chose not to. The church is also called His bride, His wife. The maturing of His church into the bride that He deserves is a main purpose for this age. The Lord redeemed the earth with His blood and could have taken His authority over it immediately after His resurrection. Yet, He waited this long to use this age as “training for reigning” for His bride.

         True friends of the Bridegroom will have a main devotion of seeing the bride made ready for the King. We can expect this measuring of the church to increase and become a main devotion of His people. As this happens, we will see the church become what she is called to be.   

         The forty-two months given to the nations adds up to 1,260 days, a number repeated in Revelation. In Ezekiel 4:6, the Lord said that He had given a year for a day. Often in prophetic symbolism, days stand for years. As we touched on before, it was exactly 1,260 years between the decree of the Roman emperor that gave the Bishop of Rome authority over the church an a decree through Napoleon that ended it.

         Around the time of Napoleon’s decree, many movements began to restore the government of the church to its original design. With almost every recovery of the ecclesia, or structure and order of the church, a major advancement of the church was created, and ingathering into it. Indeed, the contrast between the false church, “Mystery Babylon,” and God’s true church and temple, the New Jerusalem, is a major theme of Revelation, as we will continue to see.