晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W42-4)
第四十二週.週四
晨興餧養
啟十2~3 『手裏拿著展開的小書卷,右腳踏在海上,左腳踏在地上,大聲呼喊,好像獅子吼叫,呼喊完了,就有七雷發聲說話。』
〔啟示錄十章〕一節…說到,祂〔基督〕的『臉面像日頭』。在靠近祂公開來到地上的時候,祂當然就不像晨星了;晨星是在黎明前最黑暗的時刻以前出現的。
基督來得地的時候,祂的兩腳『像火柱』。這裏柱指明堅定不移,(耶一18,加二9,)火表徵神的聖別;(出十九18,來十二29;)基督要照著神的聖別,在地上執行審判。(啟示錄生命讀經,三六二頁。)
信息選讀
〔啟示錄十章二節和八節裏〕這個展開的小書卷,就是五章一節惟有基督配從神手中拿過來並展開(5,7)的書卷。現今這書卷就在祂的手裏。在五章一節,書卷是封嚴的;到十章二節和八節時,卻是展開的。因為所有的印都已揭開,書卷就展開了。這裏只是書卷的一部分,所以稱為小書卷。因為書卷的主要部分已經揭示了。
〔基督〕腳踏在海上與地上,〔2,〕就是據有海與地,(申十一24,書一3,詩八6~8,)指明基督降臨是來據有地。只有祂配展開神經綸的書卷,也只有祂彀資格據有地。在約書亞記裏,神告訴以色列人,凡他們腳掌所踏之地,就是他們的。他們要行過美地,凡他們腳掌所踏之地,都必歸他們為業。根據同樣的原則,基督是神所差的另一位天使,祂要來踏在海與地上,因為地與海都已經賜給祂為業。(詩二8。)雖然祂的仇敵篡奪了地與海,多少個世紀以來,祂也一直容忍著,但有一天祂不能再容忍了,祂要來取回祂合法的產業。
啟示錄十章三節說,基督『大聲呼喊,好像獅子吼叫』。獅子的吼叫,像王的忿怒;(箴十九12,二十2;)這指明全地的王基督被激怒了。在福音書裏,基督說話像羔羊,但是在這裏,祂吼叫像獅子。啟示錄三章裏題到主忍耐的話。忍耐的意思是容忍。但到了十章,主不再忍耐了;當祂來據有地的時候,祂要吼叫如獅子。
基督大聲呼喊完了,『就有七雷發聲說話。』七雷該是神一切忿怒的最終發表。四節說,『七雷說話的時候,我正要寫出來,就聽見從天上有聲音說,七雷所說的你要封上,不可寫出來。』我們今天不知道七雷說了些甚麼,但是有一天我們會知道。
五至六節說,『我所看見那站在海上和地上的天使,向天舉起右手來,指著那創造天和天上之物、地和地上之物、海和海中之物,直活到永永遠遠的,起誓說,不再耽延了。』天上之物主要的是天使,地上之物主要的是人,海中之物主要的是鬼。第六號以後,神就要審判地,不再有容忍的時間了。因此,第七號是神最嚴厲的審判,也是神完滿的答應了六章十節殉道聖徒的禱告。(啟示錄生命讀經,三六二至三六四頁。)
參讀:啟示錄生命讀經,第二十六篇。
WEEK 42 — DAY 4
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 10:2-3 And He had in His hand a little opened scroll. And He placed His right foot on the sea and the left on the land; and He cried out with a loud voice just as a lion roars. And when He cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices.
Revelation 10:1 also says that “His face was like the sun.” Surely here, close to His coming to the earth openly, He will not be like the morning star, which appears before the darkest time, prior to dawn.
When Christ comes to take possession of the earth, His feet will be “like pillars of fire.” Here, pillars indicate steadfastness (Jer. 1:18; Gal. 2:9). Fire here signifies the holiness of God (Exo. 19:18; Heb. 12:29), according to which Christ will execute His judgment upon the earth. (Life-study of Revelation, p. 297)
Today’s Reading
This little opened scroll [in Revelation 10:2 and 8] is the scroll in 5:1, which only Christ is worthy to open and which He took out of the hand of God (vv. 5, 7). Now it is in His hand. In 5:1 it was sealed; in 10:2 and 8 it is opened. The scroll has been opened because all the seals have been loosed. Here, being only a part of the scroll, it is called “a little…scroll.” The main part of the scroll has already been revealed.
Christ’s placing His feet on the sea and on the land [in 10:2] is His treading on them, and to tread on them is to take possession of them (Deut. 11:24; Josh. 1:3; Psa. 8:6-8). This indicates that Christ is coming down to take possession of the earth. Only He is worthy to open the scroll of God’s economy, and only He is qualified to possess the earth. In Joshua, God told the people that they would possess whatever part of the land the sole of their
foot would tread upon. They were to walk through the good land, and
wherever they set their feet, that would be their possession. Based upon
the same principle, Christ, as another Angel sent by God, will come to
tread upon the sea and the earth, for the earth and the sea have both
been given to Him as His inheritance (Psa. 2:8). Although the earth and
sea have been usurped by His enemy, and although He has been tolerating
this for centuries, one day He will tolerate it no longer. He will come
to claim His rightful inheritance.
Revelation
10:3 says that Christ “cried out with a loud voice just as a lion
roars.” A lion’s roaring is likened to a king’s wrath (Prov. 19:12;
20:2). This indicates that Christ, as the King of the earth, is provoked
to wrath. In the Gospels Christ spoke like a lamb, but in Revelation He
roars like a lion. Chapter 3 mentions the word of the Lord’s endurance.
Endurance means toleration. But by the time of chapter 10 the Lord no
longer exercises endurance. Rather, in His coming to take possession of
the earth, He roars like a lion.
When
Christ cried out with a loud voice, “the seven thunders uttered their
own voices.” The seven thunders must be the ultimate utterances of God’s
full wrath. Verse 4 says, “And when the seven thunders spoke, I was
about to write, and I heard a voice out of heaven, saying, Seal the
things which the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them.” Today we
do not know what the seven thunders said, but one day we will know.
Verses
5 and 6 say, “And the Angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the
land lifted up His right hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives
forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth
and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there
shall be delay no longer.” The main item of the things in heaven is the
angels, the main item of the things in the earth is men, and the main
item of the things in the sea is the demons. After the sixth trumpet,
there will be no more time of toleration in God’s judgment upon the
earth. Hence, the seventh trumpet is the most serious of God’s
judgments. It is God’s answer in full to the martyred saints’ prayer in 6:10. (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 297-299)
Further Reading: Life-study of Revelation, msg. 26
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