4230. 旧教会结束, 新教会即将开始之时, 就是最后审判之时. 这就是圣言中 “最后的审判”, 以及 “人子降临” 所指的时候 (参看2117-2133, 3353, 4057节).

现在所论述的主题正是这降临, 就是门徒问主时所提到的降临:

请告诉我们, 什么时候有这些事? 你降临和今世的完结, 有什么预兆呢? (马太福音 24:3)

因此, 现在要解释的是主关于祂的降临和今世完结, 也就是最后审判的预言.

不过, 本章开头这几节仅涵盖32-35节的内容, 这几节经文如下:

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. 这样, 你们看见这一切的事, 也该知道人子近了, 正在门口了. 我实在告诉你们: 这世代还没有过去, 这些事都要成就. 天地要废去, 我的话却不能废去. (马太福音 24:32-35)

这些话的内义如下.

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.