4198. “又叫米斯巴; 因为他说, 愿耶和华在你我中间鉴察” 表主的神性属世层的同在, 也就是说, 在 “拉班” 现所代表的良善里面的同在. 这从 “鉴察” 或 “观察” 的含义清楚可知, “鉴察” 或 “观察” 是指同在; 因为凡观察别人, 或从高处的瞭望塔中看他的人, 都是以视觉与下面的他同在. 而且, 当论及主时, “看” 表示预见和提供 (2837, 2839, 3686, 3854, 3863节), 因而还表示同在, 不过, 是通过预见和提供同在.

至于主的同在, 祂与每个人同在, 但仅限于祂被接受的程度; 因为所有人皆唯独从主接受自己的生命. 那些在良善与真理里面接受祂的同在之人的生命就是聪明与智慧的生命, 而那些不在良善与真理里面, 而是在邪恶与虚假里面接受祂的同在之人的生命则是又疯狂又愚蠢的生命; 但后者仍具有理解和变得智慧的能力. 从他们知道如何表面上伪装和模仿良善和真理, 通过外表迷惑人, 就能看出他们的确拥有这种能力. 如果他们没有这种能力, 这是不可能的事. “米斯巴” 就表示这种同在的性质, 在此表示它在此处 “拉班” 所代表的那些处于行为良善的人, 也就是外邦人当中的性质. 事实上, 在原文, “米斯巴” 这个名就来源于动词 “观察” 或 “看” (watch或looking).

3751. The preliminary section of the previous chapter explained what the Lord has foretold about the final period of the Church in Matthew 24:15-18. In the preliminary section of the present chapter, in which the same section-by-section method of presentation is adopted, the explanation is given of the words that follow in verses 19-22 of that chapter in Matthew, which are these,

But woe to those who are with child or giving suck in those days! Pray that your flight may not take place in winter or on a sabbath. For then there will be great affliction, unlike any from the beginning of the world until now, or any in the future. And unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.