4229. 第32章
最后的审判 (续)
我们从第三卷 (系指拉丁文的第3卷) 开始解释主在马太福音 24章关于最后审判的预言. 这些解释被放在了那一卷最后几章的开头部分, 目前已解释到31节 (参看3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3897-3901, 4056-4060节).
概括地说, 主的这些预言的内义从所给出的解释很清楚看出来, 即祂预言了教会的逐渐毁灭和最终一个新教会的建立, 其次序如下:
⑴教会成员不再知道何为良善与真理, 反而开始彼此争论它们.
⑵他们蔑视它们.
⑶他们从心里不承认它们.
⑷他们亵渎它们.
⑸由于信之真理和爱之良善仍存留在某些被称为 “选民” 的人当中, 故经上描述了那时信之真理所具有的状态.
⑹然后描述了仁的状态.
⑺最后论述了一个新教会的开始, 由最后所解释的那些话来表示, 即:
祂要差遣祂的使者, 用号筒的大声, 将祂的选民从四风, 从天这边到天那边, 都招聚了来. (马太福音 24:31)
这些话表示一个新教会的开始 (参看4060末尾节).
1
耶稣出了圣殿，正走的时候，门徒进前来，把殿宇指给他看。
2
耶稣对他们说：你们不是看见这殿宇麽？我实在告诉你们，将来在这里没有一块石头留在石头上，不被拆毁了。
3
耶稣在橄榄山上坐着，门徒暗暗的来说：请告诉我们，甚麽时候有这些事？你降临和世界的末了有甚麽豫兆呢？
5
因为将来有好些人冒我的名来，说：我是基督，并且要迷惑许多人。
6
你们也要听见打仗和打仗的风声，总不要惊慌；因为这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到。
7
民要攻打民，国要攻打国；多处必有饥荒、地震。
8
这都是灾难（灾难：原文是生产之难）的起头。
9
那时，人要把你们陷在患难里，也要杀害你们；你们又要为我的名被万民恨恶。
10
那时，必有许多人跌倒，也要彼此陷害，彼此恨恶；
12
只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了。
14
这天国的福音要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然後末期才来到。
15
你们看见先知但以理所说的那行毁坏可憎的站在圣地（读这经的人须要会意）。
17
在房上的，不要下来拿家里的东西；
18
在田里的，也不要回去取衣裳。
20
你们应当祈求，叫你们逃走的时候，不遇见冬天或是安息日。
21
因为那时必有大灾难，从世界的起头直到如今，没有这样的灾难，後来也必没有。
22
若不减少那日子，凡有血气的总没有一个得救的；只是为选民，那日子必减少了。
23
那时，若有人对你们说：基督在这里，或说：基督在那里，你们不要信！
24
因为假基督、假先知将要起来，显大神迹、大奇事，倘若能行，连选民也就迷惑了。
26
若有人对你们说：看哪，基督在旷野里，你们不要出去！或说：看哪，基督在内屋中，你们不要信！
27
闪电从东边发出，直照到西边。人子降临，也要这样。
28
尸首在那里，鹰也必聚在那里。
29
那些日子的灾难一过去，日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落，天势都要震动。
30
那时，人子的兆头要显在天上，地上的万族都要哀哭。他们要看见人子，有能力，有大荣耀.，驾着天上的云降临。
31
他要差遣使者，用号筒的大声，将他的选民，从四方（方：原文是风），从天这边到天那边，都招聚了来。
32
你们可以从无花果树学个比方：当树枝发嫩长叶的时候，你们就知道夏天近了。
33
这样，你们看见这一切的事，也该知道人子近了，正在门口了。
36
那日子，那时辰，没有人知道，连天上的使者也不知道，子也不知道，惟独父知道。
37
挪亚的日子怎样，人子降临也要怎样。
38
当洪水以前的日子，人照常吃喝嫁娶，直到挪亚进方舟的那日；
40
那时，两个人在田里，取去一个，撇下一个。
41
两个女人推磨，取去一个，撇下一个。
43
家主若知道几更天有贼来，就必儆醒，不容人挖透房屋；这是你们所知道的。
44
所以，你们也要预备，因为你们想不到的时候，人子就来了。
45
谁是忠心有见识的仆人，为主人所派，管理家里的人，按时分粮给他们呢？
49
就动手打他的同伴，又和酒醉的人一同吃喝。
50
在想不到的日子，不知道的时辰，那仆人的主人要来，
51
重重的处治他（或作：把他腰斩了），定他和假冒为善的人同罪；在那里必要哀哭切齿了。
468. THE INTERNAL SENSE
It is clear from what was stated and shown in the previous chapter that names meant heresies and systems of doctrine. From that it becomes clear that the names in this chapter do not mean specific individuals but other things that existed. Here they mean systems of doctrine or Churches which, though they underwent certain changes, were preserved from the time of the Most Ancient Church down to that of Noah. Now it so happens that every Church in the course of time gets smaller until at length it remains among only a few people. The few with whom it remained at the time of the Flood were called Noah.
[2] The fact that the true Church gets smaller and remains among the few becomes clear from other Churches which have in a similar manner got smaller. In the Word those who remain are called 'the Remnant' and 'that which is left', and indeed people 'in the midst (or the middle) of the land'. What applies in general applies in particular also; that is, what is true of the Church is equally true of individuals. If the Lord did not preserve remnants with each individual he would inevitably perish in eternal death, for those remnants contain spiritual and celestial life. The same applies to what is general or universal; were there not always some people among whom the Church, or true faith, existed, the human race would perish. For as is well known, a city, even a whole kingdom, is preserved for the sake of a few. These factors are akin to the heart in man: as long as the heart is sound the surrounding organs can go on living. But when it is weak, deterioration sets into them all and the person dies. Final remnants are meant by Noah, for with the exception of these, as is clear from verse 12 of the next chapter, 'the whole earth was corrupt'.
[3] The remnants residing with the individual or within the Church are frequently the subject in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,
He who remains in Zion, and he who is left in Jerusalem will be called holy to Him, everyone who has been written for life 1 in Jerusalem, when the Lord will have washed the filth of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood 2 of Jerusalem from its midst. Isaiah 4:3-4.
Here holiness is attributed to the remnants, which mean remnants of the Church, and also of the member of the Church, for those left in Zion and in Jerusalem could not be holy people merely because they had been left there.
Similarly in the same prophet,
On that day, the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob that escaped will no more lean on him that smote them; but they will lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. (Isaiah 10:20)
In Jeremiah,
In those days and in that time the iniquity of Israel will be sought, but there will be none, and the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon him whom I shall make one that is left. Jeremiah 50:10.
In Micah,
The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Jehovah, like showers on the grass. Micah 5:7.
[4] That which is left, or the remnant, whether of the individual or of the Church, was also represented by tenths, which were holy. And any number involving ten was consequently holy too. Ten therefore has reference to things that are left over, as in Isaiah,
Jehovah will remove man far away, and there will be many forsaken places in the midst of the land; yet there will be a tenth part in it, and this will return; it will be a wiping out like an oak or a terebinth when the stump is cast away from them. The holy seed is its stump. Isaiah 6:12-13.
Here that which is left is called 'the holy stump'. In Amos,
Thus said the Lord Jehovah, The city that goes forth a thousand will have a hundred that are left, and that which goes forth a hundred will have ten that are left to the house of Israel. Amos 9:3.
In these and many other places the internal sense means remnants, also the subject here. The fact that a city is preserved for the sake of the remnant of the Church is clear from what Abraham was told concerning Sodom, Abraham said, Perhaps ten may be found there; and He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. Genesis 18:32.
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