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).

756. The natural world contains various things which can illustrate the ending of the age. For here every single thing upon the earth grows old and reaches its end, but in successive alternations known as cycles. Periods of time are cyclical, both in general and in detail. In general, the year advances from spring to summer, through this to autumn and comes to an end in winter, from which it returns to spring; this is the heat cycle. In detail, the day advances from morning to noon, through this to evening and comes to an end in night, from which it returns again to morning; this is the light cycle. Every human being too goes through a natural cycle. He begins his life from childhood, advances to adolescence and early adulthood, from which he passes into old age, and dies. Likewise every bird of the sky, and every beast of the earth. Every tree too begins with a shoot, grows to full size and little by little wastes away, until it falls. The same thing happens to every shrub and plant, in fact to every leaf and flower, as well as to the ground itself, which in course of time becomes barren. The same happens to every stretch of still water, which little by little becomes foul. All of these endings are alternating, being natural and temporary, but they show periodicity. For when one passes from its beginning to its end, another like it arises. So everything is born and wastes away, and is born again, so that creation may continue in existence. The reason why much the same happens to the church is that people are a church, and on the general level compose it. One generation takes the place of another, and every mind is different. Wickedness once rooted in the character is transferred to descendants as a propensity to wickedness; and it cannot be rooted out except by regeneration, which only the Lord can bring about.

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)