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).

3897. 照原定计划, 在开头这几节有必要解释主在马太福音 24章关于最后审判和或教会末期的教导. 前一章开头那几节解释了马太福音 24章19至22节的内容, 接下来解释23至28节的内容, 经文如下:

那时, 若有人对你们说, 看哪, 基督在这里, 或在那里, 你们不要信. 因为假基督, 假先知将要起来, 显大神迹, 大奇事. 倘若可能, 连选民也迷惑了. 看哪, 我预先告诉你们了. 所以若他们对你们说, 看哪, 祂在旷野里, 你们不要出去; 或说, 看哪, 祂在内屋中, 你们不要信. 闪电从东边发出, 直照到西边, 人子来临, 也要这样. 尸首在哪里, 鹰也必聚在哪里. (马太福音 24:23-28)

8767. 'And keep My covenant' means thus leading a good life, and as a consequence being joined [to the Lord]. This is clear from the meaning of 'keeping the covenant' as leading a life in accordance with the commandments, thus a life governed by good, and so being joined to the Lord. The reason why 'keeping the covenant' means leading a life in accordance with the commandments, thus leading a good life, is that the stipulations of the covenant were all the things that had been commanded, which were called testimonies, judgements, laws, and statutes, in particular the Ten Commandments. All these were also called the covenant because it was established through them. The fact that keeping them is leading a life in accordance with them is evident from the meaning of 'keeping' in the Word. Many times it speaks of hearing the commandments and keeping them, and in those places 'hearing' means accepting them in faith, and 'keeping' accepting them in life, that is, leading a life in accordance with them. The reason why 'keeping the covenant' also means being joined [to the Lord] is that in an overall sense 'a covenant' means being joined together, 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804. It has this further meaning because a person who leads a life in accordance with the commandments is joined to the Lord. For the commandments teach about life and also impart life, thereby opening the way to heaven and opening one's eyes to see the Lord.