晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W46-1)
第四十六週.週一
晨興餧養
啟二十1~2 『我又看見一位天使從天降下,手裏拿著無底坑的鑰匙,和一條大鎖鍊。他捉住那龍,就是古蛇,也就是魔鬼,撒但,把他捆綁一千年。』
在啟示錄二十章一至四節,我們看見基督乃是國度的建立者。基督與祂所有的仇敵爭戰之後,要在地上建立神的國度,就是千年國,並與祂得勝的信徒一同作王一千年。在得勝者被提和千年國開始之間,有許多事要發生。在男孩子被提之後,天上立刻有大聲音說,『我們神的救恩、能力、國度、並祂基督的權柄,現在都來到了。』(十二10。)然而事實上,那時國度並未來臨,因為三年半的大災難還沒有來到;雖然如此,在那些已經被提到諸天之上的人眼中,國度已經來了。在這世代末了的三年半中,以下的事情將要發生:大體聖徒的被提;宗教巴比倫的毀滅,也就是天主教的摧毀;猶太教的毀滅;以及物質巴比倫的傾倒。在這一切之後,將有哈米吉頓的戰爭。全地必須得著清理,以備神的國來臨。在二十章的時候,幾乎一切都得了清理,只有一樣還留著,就是撒但,他是一切難處的源頭。所以,在關於千年國的二十章,首先題到撒但被捆綁。(新約總論第十四冊,二八○頁。)
信息選讀
照著聖經的豫言,千年國有兩部分:上端屬天的部分和下端屬地的部分。千年國上部稱為父的國,(太十三43,)下部稱為人子的國。(41。)彌賽亞國是千年國下部的另一名稱。
在千年國裏將有三班人。第一班是得勝的聖徒,包括新舊約中得勝的聖徒。這些得勝的聖徒要與基督一同作王,基督是至高的王,我們將是祂的小王。所以上部是千年國的君王部分。
在下端部分的第二班人,乃是蒙保全正確的猶太人,他們要在主回來時得救。照著撒迦利亞十二章十至十四節,這些猶太人必仰望他們所扎的那位,然後他們要悔改。這些就是三分之一要經過火受熬煉的猶太人。(十三9。)這些得救的猶太人要進入千年國作祭司,教導萬民尋求神,認識神。那時以賽亞二章二至三節就應驗了。…藉著作祭司之猶太人的教導,萬民都必認識神。六十一章六節說,『你們卻要稱為耶和華的祭司;人必稱你們為我們神的僕役。』
撒迦利亞八章二十三節說,『萬軍之耶和華如此說,在那些日子,必有十個人,從列國說各種方言的人中出來,拉住一個猶大人的衣襟,說,我們要與你們同去,因為我們聽見神與你們同在了。』這節指明每個猶太人都是寶貴的。在那些日子,猶太人會受到熱烈的歡迎。
千年國裏的第三班人,就是馬太二十五章所說到的『綿羊』。
在千年國的下端部分,就是稱為人子的國裏,耶穌這大衛的後裔,要作王管理猶太人,並且藉著猶太人管理萬國。…這就是人子的國和彌賽亞國。(新約總論第十四冊,二八三至二八五頁。)
參讀:新約總論,第四百二十七篇。
WEEK 46 — DAY 1
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 20:1-2 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
In Revelation 20:1-4 we see that Christ is the Establisher of the kingdom. After fighting all His enemies, Christ will establish the kingdom of God on the earth, the millennial kingdom, and reign with His overcoming believers for a thousand years. Between the rapture of the overcomers and the beginning of the millennial kingdom, many things will take place. Immediately after the rapture of the man-child, a loud voice in heaven says, “Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ” (12:10). Actually, the kingdom will not come at that time, for the three and a half years of the great tribulation are yet to come. Nevertheless, in the eyes of those who have been raptured to the heavens, the kingdom has already come. During the last three and a half years of this age, the following things will take place: the rapture of the majority of the saints; the destruction of religious Babylon, that is, the annihilation of Catholicism; the destruction of Judaism; and the fall of material Babylon. Following all this, there will be the war at Armageddon. The whole earth must be cleared up as a preparation for God’s kingdom to come. At the time of Revelation 20, nearly everything has been cleared up. Only one thing remains, and that is Satan, the source of all the problems. Therefore, the first item mentioned in Revelation 20, a chapter concerning the millennium, is the binding of Satan. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4349-4350)
Today’s Reading
According to the prophecies of the Bible, the millennial kingdom is in two sections: the upper, heavenly, section and the lower, earthly, section. The upper section of the millennium is called the kingdom of the Father (Matt. 13:43), and the lower section is called the kingdom of the Son of Man (v. 41). The kingdom of the Messiah, or the Messianic kingdom, is another name for the lower section of the millennium.
In the millennial kingdom there will be three peoples. The first are the overcoming saints, including those of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. These overcoming saints will be co-kings of Christ. Christ is the highest King, and we will be His sub-kings. Therefore, the upper section is the royal portion of the millennium.
The second group, found in the lower section, is the preserved and proper Jews, who will be saved at the time of the Lord’s coming back. According to Zechariah 12:10-14, these Jews will look on Him whom they have pierced, and then they will repent. These are the Jews who will be the third part who will pass through fire and be refined (13:9). These saved Jews will enter into the millennium as priests and will teach the nations to seek God and to know Him. Isaiah 2:2-3 will be fulfilled at that time…The nations will learn of God through the instruction of the Jews, who will be priests. Isaiah 61:6 says, “You will be called the priests of Jehovah; / People will speak of you as the ministers of our God.”
Zechariah 8:23 says, “Thus says Jehovah of hosts, In those days, from all the languages of the nations, ten men will take hold, indeed, they will take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” This verse indicates that every Jew will be precious. In those days the Jews will be warmly welcomed.
The third group of people in the millennial kingdom will be the “sheep” spoken of in Matthew 25.
In the lower section of the millennium, called the kingdom of the Son of Man, Jesus as the seed of David will be King over the Jews and, through the Jews, over all the nations…This is the kingdom of the Son of Man and the kingdom of the Messiah. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4352-4353)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 427
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