正確的道路─啟示錄 

接下來我們來看啟示錄十八章11-20節，繼續對巴比倫的預言，以及我們該如何回應此系統：

地上的客商也都為她哭泣悲哀，因為沒有人再買他們的貨物了； 

這貨物就是金、銀、寶石、珍珠、細麻布、紫色料、綢子、朱紅色料、各樣香木、各樣象牙的器皿、各樣極寶貴的木頭，和銅、鐵、漢白玉的器皿， 

並肉桂、荳蔻、香料、香膏、乳香、酒、油、細麵、麥子、牛、羊、車、馬，和奴僕、人口。 

巴比倫哪，妳所貪愛的果子離開了妳；妳一切的珍饈美味，和華美的物件也從妳中間毀滅，決不能再見了。 

販賣這些貨物、藉著她發了財的客商，因怕她的痛苦，就遠遠的站著哭泣悲哀，說：

哀哉！哀哉！這大城啊，素常穿著細麻、紫色、朱紅色的衣服，又用金子、寶石，和珍珠為妝飾。 

一時之間，這麼大的富厚就歸於無有了。凡船主和坐船往各處去的，並眾水手，連所有靠海為業的，都遠遠的站著， 

看見燒她的煙，就喊著說：有何城能比這大城呢？ 

他們又把塵土撒在頭上，哭泣悲哀，喊著說：哀哉！哀哉！這大城啊。凡有船在海中的，都因她的珍寶成了富足！她在一時之間就成了荒場！ 

天哪，眾聖徒、眾使徒、眾先知啊，你們都要因她歡喜，因為神已經在她身上伸了你們的冤。 

這段經文特別關注假冒教會作為商業主要來源的特質，在中世紀時期，教會不僅是商業的重要來源，也是主要來源。除了教會還有其他單位，但教會卻是最大的商業來源。商業本身沒有任何問題，但卻是主在祂父親的殿中所抵制的事物，這可能是因為它很容易破壞祂禱告的殿所需要的屬靈純潔。 

在所羅門殿中有兩大柱子分別是以祭司和商人來命名；因此商業在當時之所以成為殿中的柱子，是因為它象徵人類的基本交易。然而，喜愛並提倡公平交易與商業是一回事，把教會變成商業場所又是另外一回事。如此做會帶來許多有別於教會聖潔目的之動機，引致偶像崇拜。要記得錢財是人類心中的終極偶像。偶像包括我們愛它超越愛神與信靠它超越信靠神的事物。 

當中世紀教會成為國教後，教會所經歷的腐敗和其被賦予的政治權力一樣大。教會本應對政府、文化和商業產生先知性的影響，但當它成為它們的一部分時，便在這些領域失去先知性的權柄。更糟的是，它吸引腐敗的人進入領導階層，他們只想利用教會賺錢或者宣傳他們的政治野心。 

這些腐敗與妥協的源頭破壞性太大，很快它們便使教會與所呼召的背道而馳。淫婦（妓女）把自己給出去是為了利益，而不是愛，這就是假冒教會所成為的樣式。啟示錄還有更多關於此假冒教會的腐敗，但我們應當做什麼來避免使我們的教會變成『商業之家』呢？正如我自己寫書也賣書，我深思此問題超過三十年，我並不是在說自己擁有所有答案，但我認為我從中學到一些。 

首先，我認為把教會當成市集很危險。當然，事實上我們所做的每件事都很危險，但這應當讓我們更謹慎小心。我們在屬靈書房所賣的產品對人們有益處嗎？還是我們只想要賺錢呢？ 

我必須也察看自己的心對於我同意傳講的特會或教會，我會檢視自己的動機，看看自己接受邀約是否因為潛在的收入，還是因為主差派我去。我從來不會因著講道的邀約而索取任何東西，我也不會邀請那些索取一定金額的人到我們的特會或教會講道。我們很瞭解他們所承擔的花費，也想要大方祝福他們，但索取的部分可以將真正的使者從雇工中分別出來。 

另外我們還做一些事來杜絕使主的家成為商業之家的傾向，我並不是在說我們在這方面做的很完美，但我們知道這有多重要。當我開始晨星出版刊物時，我們的書都不要錢，而是免費贈送。後來主說祂並沒有要我這樣做，那是一個宗教的靈。祂指示我察看贈書所帶來的影響。調查以後，我發現我們贈與的書籍只有百分之十被閱讀。當我們開始適度收費時，結果剛好相反，大約被購買的書籍百分之九十都被閱讀。然而，好的管家職責迫使我以相對低廉的價錢來賣這些書籍，對於買不起的人，我們仍用贈與的方式。 

再一次，在生命道路兩旁各有一條渠溝。律法主義並不是不法的答案，我們可能會反應過度而掉入另一邊的渠溝。在此問題上我兩邊都經歷過，倘若主用祂的話賜給我們清楚的引領，可能會容易許多，但祂不這麼做是有原因的。主在許多重要問題上沒有給予我們清楚指引，是因為祂要我們跟隨祂的聖靈，按著心中的感動來做。 

現在想一想，耶穌推倒聖殿兌換銀錢的桌子，並不是因為他們是兌換銀錢的，而是因為他們是在聖殿裡。有些跡象顯示，這些人變得貪婪無厭，開始佔朝聖者的便宜。他們一開始在殿外，後來向裡面遷移，佔了越來越多本要用來服事的地方。聖殿需要兌換銀錢的人，因為有太多來自外地敬拜神的人，也需要賣祭物的人，因為朝聖者不方便從大老遠攜帶祭物前來。然而，商人需要待在保留給服事人以外的地方，倘若他們要與敬拜者進行交易，也需要成為公平的交易者。 

沿著如此屬靈與道德路線，最難持守正確道路、避免極端。我們應當不要試圖走在或活在其中，除非我們被呼召這麼做，那我們必須用最謹慎與警戒的方式來做。我們應當尋求明白與瞭解這些問題在歷史上帶給教會的破壞，這即是何以這些事在啟示錄中會被闡明。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week14, 2018)

 
The Right Path—The Book of Revelation
Week 14, 2018
Rick Joyner

       Next we will cover Revelation 18:11-20, which continues with the prophecy of Babylon and how we should respond to this system:

    And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:

   merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

    and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.

    The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.

    The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

    and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

    For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance

    and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'

    They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, “Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'

    "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!" (NKJV)

         This text especially focuses on the character of the counterfeit church as a major source of commerce. During the Middle Ages the church was not only a major source of commerce, but the primary source. There were others, but by far the church was the largest. There is nothing wrong with commerce, but it was something that the Lord rejected for His Father’s house. This was probably because of how easily it corrupted the spiritual purity His house of prayer required.

         The two pillars of the temple of Solomon were named after a priest and a businessman. Business was therefore intended to be a pillar in the temple as it represents basic human interchange. However, it is one thing to love and promote fair trade and commerce, and quite another to turn the church into a business. Doing this would bring in many with motives different from the holy purpose of the church, leading to idolatry. Remember that money is an ultimate idol of the human heart. An idol is both what we love more than God and what we put our trust in in more than God.

         The corruption the church in the Middle Ages experienced when it was made into the state church and given political power was just as great. The church was intended to have prophetic influence with governments , culture, and commerce, but it lost its prophetic authority in these realms when it became part of them. Even worse, it drew into its leadership corrupt people who wanted to use the church to make money or promote their political ambitions.

         These sources of corruption and compromise were so devastating that they quickly turned the church into the opposite of what she was called to be. This Mystery Babylon is called a harlot because she had many partners. Harlots give themselves for gain, not love, and that is what the counterfeit church became. There is more in Revelation about the corruption of this counterfeit church, but what should we do to avoid making our churches today into “houses of merchandise?” As one who writes and sells books, I have considered this issue deeply for over thirty years. I don’t claim to have all of the answers, but I think I’ve learned some of them.

         First, I consider it dangerous to use the church as a marketplace. Of course, virtually everything we do is dangerous, but this should caution us to be circumspect. Are the products we sell in our bookstores spiritually beneficial to the people, or are we just trying to make money?

         I also must search my heart about things like conferences, or churches I agree to speak at. I check my motives to see if I am taking them because of the potential income or because the Lord is sending me. I have never demanded anything for speaking, and I do not invite those to speak at our conferences or churches who demand a certain amount. We well understand the expenses they incur and want to bless them generously, but it’s the demanding part that can separate the true messengers from the hirelings.

         There are other things we do as well to combat this tendency to make the Lord’s house a house of merchandise. I do not claim that we are doing this perfectly, but we know how important this is. When I started MorningStar Publications, we would not accept money for our books, but rather gave them away. Then the Lord said that He had not told me to do this, but that a religious spirit had. He instructed me to check the impact of giving the books away. Upon investigation, I found out that only about 10% of the books we gave away were being read. When we started charging a modest price for them, this was reversed—about 90% of what was purchased was read. However, good stewardship compelled me to sell them for a modest price, and we still give them away to any who cannot afford to pay for them.

         Again, there is a ditch on either side of the path of life. Legalism is not the answer to lawlessness. We can overreact and fall into the ditch on the other side. I have done this on both sides of this issue. It may have been easier if the Lord had given us clearer guidelines in His Word, but He did not do this for a reason. The Lord did not give us clear guidelines about many important issues because He wanted us to follow His Spirit and do what we do from the heart.

         Now consider that Jesus did not turn over the tables of the money changers in the temple because they were money changers, but rather because they were in the temple. There are indications that these had become greedy and started taking advantage of the pilgrims. They started outside, but then they moved inside and took more and more of the space intended for ministry. The temple needed money changers because so many came from foreign lands to worship. They also needed those who sold the sacrificial animals because the pilgrims could not have carried these animals with them. However, the merchants needed to stay outside of the place reserved for ministry to the people. They also needed to be fair traders if they were going to market to worshippers.

         It is along such spiritual and moral lines that it can be the most difficult to stay on the right path and avoid extremes. We should not try to walk or live close to them unless we are called to, and then we must do it with the utmost care and vigilance. We should seek to know and understand the devastation brought to the church in history by this issue. That is why these things are illuminated in Revelation.