於2017-12-24發佈


神的恩典─啟示錄 

 現在我們一起來看啟示錄十三章1-10節,我會一節一節講解:

那時龍就站在海邊的沙上(啟1217)。我又看見一個獸從海中上來,有十角七頭,在十角上戴著十個冠冕,七頭上有褻瀆的名號。

當然,龍就是魔鬼,他站在海邊直到有一獸從海中上來。正如我們在以賽亞書十七章和此預言之後所看見的,海代表大群─萬民或列邦。因此,這獸在萬民當中興起。頭、角與冠冕代表此時期出現的君王與權力。

我所看見的獸,形狀像豹,腳像熊的腳,口像獅子的口。那龍將自己的能力、座位、和大權柄都給了他。 

此三獸都是具有危險的掠食性動物,他們會殺死他們的食物與人。因此此獸特別與殺戮有關,魔鬼將能力與權柄都給了他。 

我看見獸的七頭中,有一個似乎受了死傷,那死傷卻醫好了。全地的人都希奇跟從那獸, 

又拜那龍─因為他將自己的權柄給了獸,也拜獸,說:誰能比這獸,誰能與他交戰呢? 

如我們先前討論過,宗教改革者相信『死傷』是當拿破崙囚禁教皇時發生,因他稱自己是教會的頭。這是教皇地位在歷史上最大的蒙羞,竟稱自己為『地上的神』。教皇後來死在獄中,拿破崙並沒有再委任另一位教皇。對世界而言,似乎教皇權力已死去。幾年之後,拿破崙的一個兒子想要賦予『君王的神聖權利』,因此他允許委任新的教皇。此似乎讓『死傷』醫好了,教會地位很快重新獲得力量,此一連串的事件吸引全世界的關注。 

又賜給他說誇大褻瀆話的口,又有權柄賜給他,可以任意而行四十二個月。 

獸就開口向神說褻瀆的話,褻瀆神的名並他的帳幕,以及那些住在天上的。 

猶太人控告耶穌褻瀆,正如他們在約翰福音回答說:『我們不是為善事拿石頭打祢,是為祢說僭妄(褻瀆)的話;又為祢是個人,反將自己當作神。』在這裡我們看見褻瀆的定義是稱自己是神,事實卻不然。教皇不僅稱自己是教會的頭,這本是基督合法的地位,久而久之,天主教機構幾乎將聖經中給予神與基督的每個頭銜套在自己身上。直到今日在天主教文學中仍不難證實這段歷史。 

又任憑他與聖徒爭戰,並且得勝;也把權柄賜給他,制伏各族、各民、各方、各國。 

凡住在地上、名字從創世以來沒有記在被殺之羔羊生命冊上的人,都要拜他。 

凡有耳的,就應當聽! 

擄掠人的,必被擄掠;用刀殺人的,必被刀殺。聖徒的忍耐和信心就是在此。 

那些在中古世紀逼迫期間被當作『異端』而被殺的人,多半是持守唯有耶穌是教會元首的基督徒。雖然天主教教義有許多不同,但這卻是主要的,此教義取代基督的地位,應驗了罪人在神的殿─教會取得主的位置,宣告自己就是神。新教歷史視那些被逼迫的人,如同為信仰犧牲的真聖徒與殉道者。在此期間數千萬人被殺害,這仍是歷史上的黑暗時期,這也是為何有些人稱其為『黑暗時代』(The Dark Ages)。 

這是令人為難與不安的真理,卻是我們必須在啟示錄提出並學習的功課,好讓如此可怕邪惡的起因可以被認出與勝過。然而,許多新教運動抓住這些關於教皇權力的事情,傲慢地使用這些知識,以為自己做得比羅馬教會更好。結果許多新教運動對待那些沒有順服他們觀點的人,基本上繼續在做和天主教一樣的事。 

此描繪出叛教的淫婦教會不單只有一個教派,而是若沒有神的恩典,我們都會變成那樣。祂賜恩給謙卑的人,將手指著別人,或認為我們比他們好是件危險的事。我們必須接受一個事實,就是我們都需要為著沒有包容力來悔改,此將引至如此的毀滅。當我們繼續研讀啟示錄,這將會變得更清楚。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week,Week46, 2017)

 
The Grace of God—The Book of Revelation
Weeky 46, 2017
Rick Joyner

         Now we come to Revelation 13:1-10. I will share comments after each part:

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

         Of course, the dragon is the devil, and he stands at the edge of the sea until a beast comes up out of the sea. As we see in Isaiah 17 and later in this prophecy, the sea represents the multitudes—the peoples or nations. So this beast arises among the people. The heads, horns, and diadems speak of different kings and powers that came forth in this period.

And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

         These three beasts are all dangerous beasts of prey that kill their food and people. So this beast is especially associated with killing, and the devil gives it his power and authority.

I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 

they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"

         As we have covered, the reformers believed that the “fatal head wound” came when Napoleon imprisoned the Pope, who claimed to be the head of the church. This was the greatest humiliation in history of the papacy that claimed to be “God on earth.” The Pope died in prison and Napoleon would not allow another Pope to be appointed. It seemed to the world that the papacy was dead. Several years later, Napoleon had a son that he wanted invested with the “divine right of kings,” so he allowed another Pope to be appointed. It seemed like the “fatal head wound” had been healed, and the papacy quickly regained its strength. This entire sequence of events got the whole world’s attention.

There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

         The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, as they explained in John 10:33: "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God." Here we see blasphemy defined as claiming to be God when you are not. The Pope not only claimed to be the head of the church, which is Christ’s rightful place, but over time the institution claimed virtually every title given to God and Christ in the Scriptures. It is easy to verify this in Catholic literature today.

It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

         The ones declared “heretics” and killed during the persecution of the Middle Ages were mostly Christians who held to the belief that Jesus alone was the Head of the church. They had many other differences with Catholic doctrine, but this was the main one. This doctrine supplanted Christ Himself and was the fulfillment of the prophecy about the man of sin taking his seat in the temple of God—the church—declaring himself to be God. Protestant history sees those that were persecuted as the true saints and martyrs for the faith. During this time, they were killed by the millions in what is still the darkest period in history, which is why some refer to it as “The Dark Ages.”

         This is an inconvenient and uncomfortable truth, but it is one we must address and derive the lessons given to us in Revelation so that the causes of such terrible evils can be recognized and overcome. However, many of the Protestant movements that grasped these things about the papacy used the knowledge arrogantly, assuming themselves to be better than the Roman church. Then many of the Protestant movements went on to do basically the same things the Catholics had done to those who would not submit to their views.

         This portrayal of an apostate and harlot church is not just about one denomination, but about what we will all become without the grace of God. He gives His grace to the humble. It is a dangerous thing to point the finger at others, or think we are better than they are.  The Lord did not give us Revelation so that we can point the finger at others, but rather at ourselves. We must embrace the fact that we all need to repent of the intolerance that leads to such destruction. As we continue this study of Revelation, this will be made clearer.