最大的鼓舞─啟示錄
當我們開始瞭解啟示錄，它成為聖經中最鼓舞人心的書卷之一，想一想在第三節的應許：
念這書上預言的和那些聽見又遵守其中所記載的，都是有福的，因為日期近了。
單是讀啟示錄就有福了，還有那些遵守其中所記載的也蒙福了，因此我們在每週一話研讀啟示錄絕對值得。任何從神而來的祝福都大過地上的財寶─這比在我們後院發現礦產更好！
當我們瞭解啟示錄所記載的，我們也將瞭解這些祝福。啟示錄有可能是你在聖經中最不喜歡的一卷書，但我推測當我們做此研讀後，它會成為你最喜歡的一卷書。在啟示錄中的鼓舞可能是神賜給人最大的鼓勵，其信息將是世界未曾聽過的最好消息，因為它包含天國福音的核心信息。
正如我們所談到的，這卷書是關於耶穌基督的啟示。祂不單是天父所愛，更是人類真正的渴望。當祂被高舉時，祂吸引所有人歸向祂。啟示錄高舉了耶穌，並描述祂在永恆裡的地位。當我們在基督裡長大成熟，注視祂與祂的榮耀遠比看見我們永恆的獎賞更令人興奮。我們的獎賞當然是難以形容的美好，但最大的獎賞莫過於看見耶穌與天父。
我們永遠無法對任何弟兄感到驕傲像對耶穌一樣，也沒有人像祂一樣對我們這麼好。世上沒有任何父親能像我們的天父一樣讓我們感到驕傲，或一樣美好。我們現在就可以認識祂、親近祂。神應許我們若我們親近祂，祂就必親近我們，我們隨時都可以按我們想要的來親近祂（參考雅各書4:8）。
當我們研讀啟示錄時，我們將更親近主，正如研讀啟示錄便是在明白『耶穌基督的啟示』，為我們帶來更大的祝福。倘若我們『遵守其中所記載的』，我們將擁有最大的祝福。
尋求耶穌更深的啟示是首要的事，但在此啟示中也有一連串快成之事是我們要瞭解的，這亦記載在啟示錄一章1節：
耶穌基督的啟示，就是神賜給祂，叫祂將必要快成的事指示祂的眾僕人。祂就差遣使者曉諭祂的僕人約翰。
當祂說這些都是『必要快成的事』，祂並不是隨便說說。在此預言所預告的事件，幾乎在老約翰領受啟示後馬上開始發生。這些事件在二千年間持續發生，雖然不是每一件都得著應驗，但多半已應驗。
雖然還有一些預言尚未應驗，但那些視所有預言都與末世有關的人並不瞭解歷史。這些事件正確被應驗不僅令人鼓舞與啟發，更賜給我們接下來要發生之事的徵兆。值得鼓舞的是─大部分最精彩的部分都還沒應驗！
這並不表示將不會有試煉，最艱難的時候才要開始發生，但不會持續太久，它們短到在雷達螢幕上甚至不會出現記號。過了極短暫的艱難時期，世上前所未有最美好與令人興奮的時候即將臨到我們。
在啟示錄第一節，約翰說記在這卷書的事件是『必要快成的事』。在第三節最後，他再次強調『日期近了』。對約翰是未來的事，對我們卻已是歷史。當我初信主時，神讓我看見許多在聖經的預言若不瞭解歷史便難以明白，特別是但以理書和啟示錄。那是何以我花四十年之久研讀歷史的原因。
倘若你認為自己並沒有這樣的時間研讀歷史，你並不需要這樣做。我們每個人都有不同的角色，我其中一個角色便是深入研讀，替沒有時間卻需要瞭解之人濃縮精華。這是關於神和人的瞭解，沒有歷史根基，我們無法勝任將要臨到之事。在地上將要發生之事，將是對神對人前所未有的最大啟示之一，這將是偉大旅程的實現。
(摘自喬納 word for the week,Week4, 2016)
The Greatest Encouragement—The Book of Revelation
Week 4, 2016
Rick Joyner
When we begin to understand Revelation, it becomes one of the most encouraging books in the Bible. Consider this promise in the third verse:
Blessed is he that reads, and those that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
There is a blessing just for reading Revelation and another for keeping the things written in it. This certainly makes it worth our time to do this study. Any blessing from God is greater than earthly treasure—this is better than finding the mother lode in our backyard!
As we understand what is written in Revelation, we will understand these blessings. This may be your least favorite book of the Bible, but I predict that as we do this study, it will become your favorite. The encouragement in Revelation may be the greatest encouragement ever given to man. Its message is the best news that the world will ever hear because it contains the core message of the gospel of the kingdom.
As we covered, this book is a revelation of Jesus Christ. He is not only the love of the Father, but the true desire of mankind. When lifted up, He draws all men to Himself. Revelation lifts Him up and describes His place in eternity. As we mature in Christ, seeing Him and His glory is far more exciting than seeing our eternal rewards. Our rewards are indescribably wonderful, but the greatest reward of all is seeing Him and the Father.
We could never be as proud of any brother as we are of Jesus. There is none as good to us as Him. There is no earthly father that we could be as proud of, or that could be as wonderful, as our Heavenly Father. We can know and be close to Them now. We are promised that if we will draw near to the Lord, He will draw near to us. At any given time, we are as close to Him as we want to be (see James 4:8).
As we study Revelation we will be drawn closer. Just doing this study in pursuit of knowing the “revelation of Jesus Christ” will result in a great blessing. If we “do the things that are written in it,” we will have the greatest blessing of all.
Seeking a deeper revelation of Jesus is the main thing, but there is also a sequence of events foretold in this prophecy that we want to understand. This too is stated in Revelation 1:1:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants—things which must soon take place” (NKJV).
When He said that these were “things which must shortly take place” (NKJV) He meant it. The events foretold in this prophecy began to happen almost immediately after John received the revelation. They have continued to unfold for nearly two thousand years. Not everything has been fulfilled, but most of it has.
Although some of the prophecy is yet to be fulfilled, those who see this as being all about the end of the age are ignorant of history. The accuracy with which these things have been fulfilled is not only encouraging and enlightening, but it gives us an indication of what to expect next. Here’s some encouragement—most of the best parts have yet to be fulfilled!
This is not to imply that there will not be trials. The most difficult times of all are just beginning to unfold, but they will not last long. They are so brief that they hardly register as a blip on the radar screen. After that short blip, the most wonderful and exciting times the world has ever known will be upon us.
In the first verse, John wrote that the events written in this book would “shortly take place” (NKJV). At the end of the third verse he reaffirms that “the time is near.” What was the future to John is now history for us. As a new believer, I was shown that many of the prophecies in Scripture, especially Daniel and Revelation, could not be understood without knowing history. That is the main reason why I have spent over forty years studying it.
If you’re thinking that you do not have that kind of time to study history, you don’t need to. We all have different parts to play. One of mine is doing in-depth studies and condensing them for those who don’t have the time to do them but need the knowledge. This is about understanding both God and man. Without that, we won’t do well through what is coming. What is about to happen on the earth will be one of the greatest revelations of both God and man ever. This is the consummation of the great journey.
