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).

755. The ending of the age being the final period of the church is clear from the passages in the Word where it is mentioned. For instance:

I have heard an ending and a cutting off from Jehovah's part upon the whole earth, Isaiah 28:22.

Ending limited, righteousness overwhelmed, for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth is bringing about ending and cutting off in the whole earth, Isaiah 10:22-23.

In the fire of the zeal of Jehovah the whole earth will be consumed, because He will bring about a speedy ending with all the inhabitants of the earth, Zephaniah 1:18.

Earth in these passages means the church, because the land of Canaan is meant, where the church was. The meaning of earth or land being the church can be seen supported by numerous passages from the Word in Apocalypse Revealed (285, 902).

Finally upon the bird of abominations desolation, to the point of ending and cutting off it will be poured upon devastation, Daniel 9:27.

This was said by Daniel about the end of the present Christian church; see Matthew 24:15.

The whole earth will be a wilderness, yet I shall not make an ending, Jeremiah 4:27.

The first iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to an end, Genesis 15:16.

Jehovah said, I shall go down and see whether they have made an ending, according to the cry which has reached me, Genesis 18:21.

This relates to Sodom.

[2] The final period of the present Christian church was also what the Lord meant by the ending of the age in the following passages:

The disciples asked Jesus, What is the sign of your coming and of the ending of the age? Matthew 24:3.

At harvest-time I shall tell the reapers, First gather the tares for burning. Gather the wheat into the barns. Thus it will be at the ending of the age, Matthew 13:30, 39-40.

At the ending of the age the angels will go forth and separate the wicked from out of the midst of the righteous, Matthew 13:49.

Jesus said to the disciples, Look, I am with you until the ending of the age, Matthew 28:20.

It needs to be known that devastation, desolation and cutting off have similar meanings to ending, but desolation means the ending of truth, devastation the ending of good, and cutting off the complete ending of both. The fullness of time, in which the Lord came into the world, and in which He will come again, is also an ending.