於2009-01-15發佈

天界的爭戰  War in the Heavenlies
January 11, 2009 Asher Intrater

啟示錄描繪了末世的屬靈爭戰,這是效忠 神的眾天使與違抗 神的惡天使之間的戰爭。啟12:7「在天上就有了爭戰,米迦勒同他的使者與龍爭戰,龍也同他的使者去爭戰。」

因我們並不是與屬血氣的爭戰,乃是與那些執政的、掌權的、管轄這幽暗世界的,以及天空屬靈氣的惡魔爭戰〔摔跤〕。(主戰場)(弗6:11-13;林前10:3-5)。在目前的迦薩衝突中,我們爭戰的對象不是迦薩居民本身,而是聖戰(Jihad)、恐怖份子(terror)、敵基督(anti-Christ)和反猶主義(anti-Semitism)的邪靈掌控勢力。

因為爭戰是屬靈界的,它不只包含坦克車和火箭砲,也包括了公眾意見和媒體;以色列發現她本身陷入了弔詭的(稀奇古怪的)陷阱裡,一方面須要去對抗哈瑪斯和真主黨的伊斯蘭聖戰,另一方面是抵擋在媒體和聯合國的自由傾左派人道主義。軍兵必須勇敢的對抗恐怖份子,同時要行在正直並堅忍的嚴格道德標準當中。

每一枚發射出來的飛彈都被飛機或直升機的攝影機記錄下來,以校準它的發射目標。歷史上從來沒有軍隊會在戰爭期間需要像以色列軍隊這般的謹慎防禦,理由是一般平民會受到傷害,起因則是他們被哈瑪斯弄成了人肉盾牌。從以色列軍隊戰爭的影片中,可以看出哈瑪斯射出的飛彈是從學校、家庭和清真寺發射出來的。

在但以理書第十章,先知禁食、禱告了三個七日,發出榮光的主的使者(耶穌誕生前的樣式)向但以理顯現(但10:5-6「舉目觀看,見有一人身穿細麻衣、腰束烏法精金帶。他身體如水蒼玉、面貌如閃電、眼目如火把、手和腳如光明的銅、說話的聲音如大眾的聲音。」)  ,並給予祂啟示,「現在我來要使你明白本國之民日後必遭遇的事,因為這異象關乎後來許多的日子。」(但10:14)。

啟示錄記載了有關末日時會發生在以色列人身上的事情,從但以理的時候到將來不遠的未來,所有關於末日的啟示都是與以色列有關的,而且是與戰爭連在一起的。

在異象中,天堂的使者告訴他戰爭的情況,「你知道我為何來見你麼,現在我要回去與波斯的魔君爭戰,我去後希臘〔雅完〕的魔君必來。」(但10:20)。波斯就是指現代的伊朗,伊朗是今日支持哈瑪斯和真主黨的主要力量;希臘是世俗人道主義的發源地,今日在媒體和聯合國的人道主義是同樣的源頭。

主的使者與這兩個權勢在進行著爭戰,今日的以色列多多少少也是在對抗這兩股勢力。「但我要將那錄在真確書上的事告訴你,除了你們的大君米迦勒之外,沒有幫助我抵擋這兩魔君的。」(但10:21)沒有其他國家的天使與耶穌聯合共同抗衡惡天使(魔君),除了米迦勒以外,因為沒有其他國家願意對抗牠們,除了以色列國之外。

直到本週為止,只有美國持續在聯合國中支援以色列,但是這一週安理會(Security Council)的投票,甚至美國也棄權了。在這個時候有任何人願意與以色列和主的使者一同站立,對抗世俗人道主義和伊斯蘭聖戰的嗎?

回顧1980年代,我拷貝了聖經中所有關於末世的信息,並不斷地重複查考,直到找到一些端倪。我得到了一些結論:

1. 末世最最中心的事件,是「耶穌的再來」。
2. 最清楚描述「耶穌的再來」的信息是啟示錄19章與撒迦利亞書14章。
3. 了解「耶穌再來」的關鍵在於對照這兩段信息(啟示錄19章與撒迦利亞書14章)。

啟示錄19章描述到,耶穌從天而降,率領眾天使天軍來懲罰地上的列國。撒迦利亞書14章描述列國會與以色列敵對爭戰,主也會出現來與他們爭戰。

撒迦利亞書有四次描述,世上所有的列國將會攻擊耶路撒冷。
撒迦利亞書12:3「那日,我必使耶路撒冷向聚集攻擊他的萬民當作一塊重石頭;凡舉起的必受重傷。」
撒迦利亞書12:9「那日,我必定意滅絕來攻擊耶路撒冷各國的民。」
撒迦利亞書14:2「因為我必聚集萬國與耶路撒冷爭戰,城必被攻取,房屋被搶奪,婦女被玷污,城中的民一半被擄去;剩下的民仍在城中,不致剪除。」
撒迦利亞書14:12「耶和華用災殃攻擊那與耶路撒冷爭戰的列國人,必是這樣:他們兩腳站立的時候,肉必消沒,眼在眶中乾癟,舌在口中潰爛。」

屬靈爭戰也是一個真理與謊言相互敵對的爭戰。為什麼列國不想要聽見真理?為什麼他們不了解他們正被欺騙?

以下是哈馬斯成員之一,也是巴勒斯坦國會議員尤尼斯‧艾爾‧阿斯提爾博士(Dr. Yunis al Astil)所談到有關激進伊斯蘭組織的目標:「我們會征服羅馬,之後就是整個歐洲。接著我們就會征服北美與南美兩地。」(Maariv週刊,9-1-2009)

世界各地只要是穆斯林掌權的地方,任何人在傳福音的時候被抓到,都有被當場處決的危險。最知名被激進派穆斯林所引用穆罕默德言行錄的一段是,復活的時刻不會來到,除非猶太人被穆斯林所殺,而石頭與樹木都會呼叫說這裡有一個猶太人藏在後面。

我們的心渴望猶太人與阿拉伯人,以色列人與巴勒斯坦人,他們能找到永生、恩典,與從耶穌彌賽亞而來的赦免。唯一能使迦薩在屬靈與政治兩方面都得著自由的方式,就是哈瑪斯的權力要被除去。讓我們禱告迦薩得自由。除非哈瑪斯政權消失,才有機會傳福音,才能有機會有和平。

A video, "Hamas' Escalation to Confrontation" (17.1 MB) narrated by an IDF spokesman:
http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=58&ar=longstoryshort-D&ak=null

(來源:全國禱告網絡)


War in the Heavenlies
January 11, 2009 Asher Intrater

The book of Revelation describes spiritual warfare in the end times. That warfare is between angels loyal to God and angels that fight against God (demons). Revelation 12:7 – "There was war in the heavenlies. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought."

Our primary battle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:11-13; II Corinthians 10:3-5). In the current crisis in Gaza, our war is not with the Gazans themselves but with the spirits of Jihad, terror, anti-Christ, and anti-Semitism that have taken control there. 

Since the war is spiritual, it involves not only tanks and rockets, but world public opinion and media. Israel finds itself in a bizarre trap, having to fight Islamic Jihad through Hamas and Hizballah on the one side, and liberal leftist humanism in the media and the U.N. on the other side. The soldiers have to be courageous to fight the terrorists, yet have the integrity and patience to act according to the strictest principles of ethical warfare. 

Every missile shot is recorded ON CAMERA from the plane or helicopter, verifying its target. No army in history has taken the kind of precautions the Israeli army is taking during this war. The reason that civilians are being hurt is because they have been lied to by Hamas to act as human shields. The cockpit films of the Israeli army show Hamas rockets being launched from schools, homes, and mosques. 

In Daniel chapter 10, the prophet prays and fasts for three weeks. The glorified Angel of the Lord (Yeshua in His pre-birth form) appears to Daniel (Daniel 10:5-6), and gives him a revelation. "I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the last days for the vision is yet for many days" – Daniel 10:14. 

The revelation was about what would happen to the people of Israel in the end days, in the distant future from the time of Daniel. All revelation about the end times is connected to Israel. And it is connected to war.

In this vision, the Heavenly Messenger tells him the conditions of the battle. "I will return to battle against the Prince of Persia and I will go out and behold the Prince of Greece will come" – Daniel 10:20.  In modern terms, Persia is Iran. Iran today is the primary source of funding for Hamas and Hizballah. Greece was the birthplace of secular humanism, the same humanism found in the media and the U.N. today. 

The Angel of the Lord was found fighting against these two powers, much in the way Israel is found fighting against them today.  "I will tell you what is recorded in the Scripture of Truth, and no one is strengthening himself together with Me against these except Michael your Prince alone" – Daniel 10:21. There was no other national angel fighting together with Yeshua against these demonic forces except Michael, because no other nation other than Israel was willing to fight against them.

Until this week, only the United States consistently supported Israel in the U.N., but at this week's Security Council vote, even the U. S. abstained. Will anyone stand with Israel and the Angel of the Lord against the forces of secular humanism and Islamic Jihad in these end times? 

Back in the 1980's I photocopied all the passages in the Bible about the end times and went over them and over them until they began to make sense. I came to a few simple conclusions: 

1. The central event of the end times is the Second Coming of Yeshua.
2. The clearest passages describing the Second Coming are Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14.
3. A key to understanding the Second Coming is to compare those two passages.

Revelation 19 describes Yeshua coming out of heaven, leading an army of angels to punish the nations of the earth. Zechariah 14 describes the nations coming against Israel to battle, with the Lord coming out to fight against them.
This section of the book of Zechariah describes four (4) times that all the nations of the world will attack Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:3 – "I will place Jerusalem as a burdensome stone… and all the nations of the earth will be gathered against her."
Zechariah 12:9 – "I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."
Zechariah 14:2 – "I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to battle."
Zechariah 14:12 – "This will be the plague against… all the peoples that came against Jerusalem to battle."

Spiritual warfare is also a battle of the truth against the lie. Why is it that the nations do not want to hear the truth? Why don't they realize they are being lied to? Here is what Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament, Dr. Yunis al Astil, said about the goals of radical Islam: "We will conquer Rome. And after that all of Europe. And then we will conquer both of the Americas (B. D. Yemini, Maariv Weekend, 9-1-2009)." 

Our friend "F," a high school teacher in Europe, called our staff this week to say that some of the Muslim students threatened him because he was not teaching against Israel. The principal called him to the office and told him he was in danger of losing his job if he did not teach against Israel. 

Every place in the world where there is Muslim domination, anyone caught sharing the gospel is in danger of being murdered on the spot. The famous hadith quoted by radical Muslim preachers today says that the hour of the resurrection will not come unless the Jews are killed by Muslims and that the rocks and trees will cry out saying that there is a Jew hiding behind them. 

Our heart's desire is for Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, to find eternal life, grace, and forgiveness through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. The only way for Gaza to be liberated, both spiritually and politically, is for Hamas to be taken out of power. Let us pray for Gaza to be liberated. Only with Hamas gone will there be any chance to share the gospel. Only then will there be a chance for peace. 

A video, "Hamas' Escalation to Confrontation" (17.1 MB) narrated by an IDF spokesman:
http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=58&ar=longstoryshort-D&ak=null