晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督（四）(W44-綱要)

第四十四週　男孩子、天上的爭戰、以及得勝的聖徒

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讀經：啟十二5，7～11

【週　一】

壹　『婦人生了一個男孩子，是將來要用鐵杖轄管萬國的；她的孩子被提到神和祂的寶座那裏去了』—啟十二5：

一　這裏的『生』表徵復活，與行傳十三章三十三至三十四節者同：

1　男孩子是由那些死了且復活的得勝聖徒組成的。

2　這可由啟示錄十二章十一節『他們雖至於死』的話得到證明。

二　在聖經中，女人象徵較軟弱的，男人象徵較剛強的—彼前三7：

1　啟示錄十二章的男孩子象徵神子民中較剛強的部分。

2　這男孩子將來要用鐵杖轄管萬國，指明男孩子是由得勝者（如二章二十六至二十七節所題的）組成的。

三　男孩子被提：

1　男孩子的被提，和帖前四章十七節所說大體信徒的被提不同。

2　那裏大體信徒的被提乃是：提到空中；在末次號筒，（林前十五52，帖前四16，）就是第七號（啟十一15）之時。

3　這裏男孩子的被提乃是：提到神的寶座前；在一千二百六十天之前，也就是在第五號（九1）以前，從第六印開始的三年半（四十二個月—十二14，十三5，十一2）大災難之前。

【週二、週三】

貳　『天上起了爭戰』—十二7上：

一　男孩子被提到天上以後，米迦勒和他的使者就開始與撒但爭戰：

1　這指明男孩子，就是神子民中較剛強的部分，總是從事與神仇敵撒但的爭戰。

2　他們在地上不斷與撒但爭戰。

3　如今天上正等待他們到達那裏，好進行爭戰，把撒但從天上摔下去。

4　聖經啟示兩位天使的名字—米迦勒和加百列。

5　加百列是報信者，帶消息給神的子民；（但八16，九21～22，路一19，26；）米迦勒是爭戰者，為神的子民爭戰。（但十13，21，十一1，十二1，猶9。）

二　『龍和牠的使者也爭戰』；（啟十二7下；）這些使者該是那些跟隨撒但背叛神的墮落天使。（太二五41。）

三　神的仇敵撒但，已經被主耶穌在十字架上審判了—約十二31，十六11：

1　接著，需要得勝的信徒完成這審判，執行這判決。

2　得勝的信徒和撒但爭戰，實際上就是執行主對撒但的審判。

3　至終，藉著他們的爭戰，撒但要從天上被摔下去—啟十二7～9。

【週　四】

參　『我們神的救恩、能力、國度、並祂基督的權柄，現在都來到了，因為那在我們神面前晝夜控告我們弟兄們的控告者，已經被摔下去了。弟兄們勝過他〔魔鬼〕，是因羔羊的血，並因自己所見證的話，他們雖至於死，也不愛自己的魂生命』—10～11節：

一　他們勝過他，是因羔羊的血：

1　撒但會控告我們，但我們可以答覆說，神兒子耶穌基督的血洗淨了我們一切的罪—約壹一7。

2　當我們認罪並應用血之後，若有任何明顯的定罪仍不停止，那必定不是神的光照，乃是撒但的控告—9節。

3　我們不僅必須拒絕沒有理由的控告，也必須拒絕一切有理由的控告。

4　當我們犯罪時，我們固然不榮耀神，但是當我們不信靠寶血，我們更是不尊崇祂—太二六28，參來十29。

5　我們必須常常應用主的血，告訴魔鬼，我們雖然不完全，卻是在寶血底下—彼前一18～19，徒二十28。

【週　五】

二　他們勝過他，是因自己所見證的話：

1　『見證』的意思是告訴人在基督裏有甚麼，見證的話就是所必須說出的事。

2　得勝者必須經常宣告基督的得勝，見證魔鬼已經受了主的審判—約壹三8，來二14。

3　撒但不怕我們和他講理，但他怕我們宣告基督得勝的屬靈事實—參代下二十20～22：

ａ　耶穌的名遠超萬名，乃是一個屬靈的事實，我們必須憑信，不僅向人宣告，也向撒但宣告—腓二9～11，林前十二3下。

ｂ　我們必須向撒但和他的污鬼宣告耶穌是主，主是得勝的，並且撒但已經踐踏在祂的腳下—創三15，約十四30下，羅十六20。

【週　六】

三　他們雖至於死，也不愛自己的魂生命：

1　因著亞當墮落，撒但就和人的魂生命，就是人的己聯合；我們要勝過撒但，就當不愛自己的魂生命，倒要恨惡並否認—太十六23～24，路十四26，九23：

ａ　撒但要我們憑自己的力量行事，並要我們在自己裏面以我們魂的能力，我們天然的才能行動。

ｂ　天然的才能就是我們原本有的才能，從未受過十字架運行的對付。

ｃ　召會的失敗，乃是由於人把他天然的才能帶進來。

ｄ　十字架的目的是要對付我們天然的力量和才能，使我們不敢憑自己行動，就如在摩西和彼得身上所見的—徒七23～30，路二二32～34，彼前五5～6。

ｅ　我們該有一個態度，就是絕不憑我們的己生活；我們不看重我們自己的才能，也絲毫不信靠自己—林前二2～4，腓三3，賽十一2下。

2　我們必須是獻上自己的人，是一個奠祭，讓基督這屬天的酒充滿我們，使我們成為獻給神的酒—腓二17，提後四6，士九13：

ａ　奠祭豫表基督是在神前作為真酒傾倒出來，使神滿足的那一位—出二九40～41。

ｂ　使徒保羅成為奠祭，澆奠在聖徒信心的祭物和供奉上—腓二17，提後四6。

ｃ　奠祭不僅豫表基督自己，也豫表這位基督以祂自己作屬天的酒浸透我們，直到祂與我們成為一而被澆奠，為著神的享受和滿足，並為著神的建造—太九17，腓二17，提後四6。

Week Eight

The Man-child, the War in Heaven, and the Overcoming Saints

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Hymns: E893

Scripture Reading: Rev. 12:5, 7-11

§ Day 1

I. "She brought forth a son, a man-child, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne"—Rev. 12:5:

A. Brought forth here signifies resurrection, as in Acts 13:33-34:

1. The man-child is composed of the overcoming saints who have died and been resurrected.

2. This is proved by the words unto death in Revelation 12:11.

B. In the Bible, woman signifies the weaker one and man the stronger one— 1 Pet. 3:7:

1. The man-child in Revelation 12 signifies the stronger part of Gods people.

2. That the man-child is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod indicates that the man-child consists of the overcomers, as mentioned in 2:26-27.

C. To be caught up is to be raptured:

1. The rapture of the man-child differs from that of the majority of the believers, which is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

2. There, the majority of the believers are raptured to the air, and at the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16), which is the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15).

3. Here, the man-child is raptured to the throne of God, and before the one thousand two hundred and sixty days, which is the time of the great tribulation of three and a half years (forty-two months, 12:14; 13:5; 11:2), beginning from the sixth seal, before the fifth trumpet (9:1).

§ Day 2 & Day 3

II. "There was war in heaven"—12:7a:

A. Immediately after the man-child is raptured to heaven, Michael and his angels begin to war against Satan:

1. This indicates that the man-child, the stronger part of Gods people, is always engaged in fighting Gods enemy, Satan.

2. They have been fighting Satan continually on earth.

3. Heaven is waiting for them to arrive that a war may be waged to cast Satan out of heaven.

4. The Bible reveals the names of two angels—Michael and Gabriel.

5. Gabriel is a reporter bringing news to Gods people (Dan. 8:16; 9:21-22; Luke 1:19, 26), whereas Michael is a fighter contending for Gods people (Dan. 10:13, 21; 11:1; 12:1; Jude 9).

B. "The dragon warred and his angels" (Rev. 12:7b); these angels must be the fallen angels, who follow Satan to rebel against God (Matt. 25:41).

C. Satan, the enemy of God, was judged by the Lord Jesus on the cross—John 12:31; 16:11:

1. After that, the overcoming believers are needed for the carrying out of that judgment, for the executing of that sentence.

2. The war waged by the overcoming believers against Satan is actually the executing of the Lords judgment upon him.

3. Eventually, through their fighting, he is cast out of heaven—Rev. 12:7-9.

§ Day 4

III. "Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, for the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him [the devil] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their soullife even unto death"—vv. 10-11:

A. They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb:

1. Satan may accuse us, but we can answer that the blood of Jesus Christ, Gods Son, cleanses us from every sin—1 John 1:7.

2. Any apparent condemnation that does not stop after we have confessed and applied the blood is not Gods enlightenment but Satans accusation— v. 9.

3. We must not only reject the accusations which are without cause, but we must also reject all the accusations which have cause.

4. When we commit sin, we do not glorify God, but when we do not trust the precious blood, we dishonor Him all the more—Matt. 26:28; cf. Heb. 10:29.

5. We must always apply the blood, telling the devil that although we are not perfect, we are under the precious blood—1 Pet. 1:18-19; Acts 20:28.

§ Day 5

B. They overcame him because of the word of their testimony:

1. "Testimony" means to tell others what there is in Christ, and the word of testimony is something which must be spoken forth.

2. The overcomers must frequently proclaim the victory of Christ, testifying that the devil has been judged by the Lord—1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14.

3. Satan does not fear when we try to reason with him, but he does fear when we proclaim the spiritual facts of Christs victory—cf. 2 Chron. 20:20-22:

a. That the name of Jesus is above every name is a spiritual fact which we must declare in faith, not only to men but also to Satan—Phil. 2:9- 11; 1 Cor. 12:3b.

b. We must proclaim to Satan and his demons that Jesus is Lord, that the Lord is victorious, and that Satan has been crushed under His feet— Gen. 3:15; John 14:30b; Rom. 16:20.

§ Day 6

C. They loved not their soul-life even unto death:

1. Due to Adams fall, Satan joined himself to mans soul-life—mans self; to overcome him we must not love our soul-life; rather, we must hate it and deny it—Matt. 16:23-24; Luke 14:26; 9:23:

a. Satan wants us to act in our own strength and move in ourselves with the power of our soul, our natural ability.

b. Natural ability is the ability which we originally had and which has never been dealt with by the operation of the cross.

c. The failure of the church is due to mans bringing in his natural ability.

d. The purpose of the cross is to deal with our natural strength and ability so that we will not dare to move by ourselves, as seen in the cases of Moses and Peter—Acts 7:23-30; Luke 22:32-34; 1 Pet. 5:5-6.

e. We should have the attitude that we will not live by our self in any way; we will not value our own ability or have any self-confidence—1 Cor. 2:2-4; Phil. 3:3; cf. Isa. 11:2b.

2. We must be self-sacrificing persons, a drink offering, allowing Christ as the heavenly wine to fill us and cause us to become wine to God—Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6; Judg. 9:13:

a. The drink offering typifies Christ as the One poured out as the real wine before God for His satisfaction—Exo. 29:40-41.

b. The apostle Paul became a drink offering that was poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the saints faith—Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6.

c. The drink offering typifies not only Christ Himself, but also Christ who saturates us with Himself as the heavenly wine until He and we become one to be poured out for Gods enjoyment and satisfaction and for Gods building—Matt. 9:17; Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6.