留意我們的投資─啟示錄 

現在我們來看啟示錄十八章21-24節，繼續談到巴比倫的先知性預言與其最後的毀滅。

有一位大力的天使舉起一塊石頭，好像大磨石，扔在海裡，說：巴比倫大城也必這樣猛力的被扔下去，決不能再見了。 

彈琴、作樂、吹笛、吹號的聲音，在你中間決不能再聽見；各行手藝人在你中間決不能再遇見；推磨的聲音在你中間決不能再聽見； 

燈光在你中間決不能再照耀；新郎和新婦的聲音，在你中間決不能再聽見。你的客商原來是地上的尊貴人；萬國也被你的邪術迷惑了。

先知和聖徒，並地上一切被殺之人的血，都在這城裡看見了。 

在這裡我們看見奧秘巴比倫完全的毀滅即將來到。『海』在先知性象徵通常指著眾多的人，表示巴比倫最終會被人吞滅。在歷史上有些時期，顯示好像有發生過這樣的事，例如在法國大革命期間。然而，雖然巴比倫現在對列國的權力不過是從前的一小部分，卻持續到如今，所以此尚未發生。 

在中世紀，大教堂是歐洲主要的建築設計。這些教堂可能是當時最好的傳音設計建築物，許多有史以來很棒的音樂家都曾在裡面演奏。機構性教會是當時音樂、藝術與建築的主要支持者。當然，機構性教會也是新郎新娘出現的主要地方，直到今日，所以這些特徵清楚明瞭。 

機構性教會是生活與文化中心，許多藝術與音樂至今仍鼓舞我們，令我們印象深刻。即便如此，這些善工並無法償還我們的罪，而且機構性教會手上沾了更多殉道者與聖徒的血，遠超過其他來源的總和。 

在啟示錄的下一章節，告訴我們要如何回應此奧秘的巴比倫，我們將在下週談到。同時我們應當留意：我們是否要持續將時間和資源投資在某件注定毀滅的事物上。我們也需要留意我們一定要投資的事物─神的城，而不是人的城，建造在不會動搖的根基上。所有這些都使我們知道要如何來區分這兩者。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week15, 2018)
 

 
Considering Our Investment—The Book of Revelation
Week 15, 2018
Rick Joyner

     We will now cover Revelation 18:21-24, which continues with the prophecy of Babylon and its final destruction:

   Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

   The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.

   The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

   And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."

     Here we see that the complete destruction of Mystery Babylon is coming. The “sea” in prophetic symbolism often refers to mass humanity, indicating that Babylon will ultimately be swallowed up by the people. A number of times in history, it appeared as if this would be the case, such as during the French Revolution. However, although Babylon’s power over the nations is now but a fraction of what it once was, it continues to this day, so this has not happened yet.

     The great cathedrals were the primary building projects in Europe during the Middle Ages. These cathedrals were probably the best acoustically designed buildings of the period and were where the great musicians of the time played. The institutional church was the primary supporter of music, the arts, and of the great architects of the time. Of course, institutional churches are also the primary place that brides and bridegrooms are to be found to this day. So it is clear what this points to.

     Institutional churches were the center of life and culture, with much of the art and music still impressing and inspiring us today. Even so, no amount of good works can pay for our sin, and it is also true that the blood of more martyrs and saints are found on the hands of the institutional church than by the hands of all other sources combined.

     In the next chapter of Revelation, we are told how to respond to this Mystery Babylon, and we will cover this next week. In the meantime, we should consider if we want to keep investing our time and resources into something with a doom that is sure. We also need to consider what we do invest in—the city that God, not men, is building, the one whose foundations cannot be shaken. All of this is so we know how to distinguish the two.