001 启示录的介绍 [和合本] 第一部分
001 启示录的介绍 [和合本] 第一部分
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- 启1:1-3
- Pic作者是使徒约翰书，晚年时在拔摩海岛上写给七间教会
- Pic应该是羅馬皇帝Domitian图密善（多米田）Ad 81-96 (在位)，时期书写的。
- Pic背景：许多基督徒与教会正在面对逼迫。
- Pic被逼要敬拜罗马凯撒[1] （古城以弗所敬拜凯撒的遗址）
- Pic背景：信徒面对敌对上帝的国：政治或王“兽”（11:7）
- Pic背景：信徒面对教会内部出现的假教师（16:13、19:20）
- Pic背景：信徒面对世界的迷惑“巴比伦”“淫妇”（17:1、17:15）
- Pic “兽”、假教师、世界诱惑都基本上出现在1:9-3:22 （7所教会）
- 在这困难的观景之下，上帝把异象赐给约翰，来安慰与警戒当时的教会，并历史历代的教会。
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- 启示录经常被异端利用来迷惑基督徒
- 启示录是一本令许多信徒害怕的书，许多令人害怕的图像。
- e.g. 耶和华见证人、东方闪电、拿来恐吓与欺骗基督徒
- 异端在解释启示录时，都会违背圣经中整体性的教导
- 他们喜欢把他们自己异端的思想，强解在启示录中的图像
- Pic不要把启示录当成神神秘秘的拼图。
- 启示录有几个主题是连 十二岁的小孩也能读懂的。
- Pic a)魔鬼与耶稣和我门作战，我门最终得胜。b)教会面对争战 “兽、假教师、淫妇”，需要要坚忍到底 c)许多大灾难会临到这敌对上帝的世界d)主一定回来，祂会审判这世界e)我们要进入新天新地
- 所以不要被异端所迷惑，如果他们的解释不符合圣经整体教导。你们不可以解释！
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- 问：我们为什么要开始读启示录？
- 启1:3 念这书上预言的和那些听见又遵守其中所记载的，都是有福的，因为日期近了。
- 启22:7“看哪！我必快来！那遵守这书上预言的人是有福的！”
- 注：启示录是用来遵守的！能被遵守的就代表是能让人明白的！
- 问：那么为什么我看启示录，会不明白呢？
- Pic不明白因我们通常把注意力都专注，那些图像imagery 、符号signs象征symbols 是什么
- e.g.两个见证人有火从他们口中出来，烧灭仇敌 指的是什么或者谁？ （11:5）
- e.g.龙是不是中国的龙？（12:3-4）
- e.g.人经常问666指的是谁？
- e.g.人经常问这些事几时发生
- 需要看的是书中的如何提醒我们、如何鼓励我们、书的整体（whole picture）
- Pic提醒：经常问这些问题的信徒，专注细节就经常看不见树林（整体） cell vs forest
- Pic启示录不是密码codes ，不是拿来给你胡乱猜测的！
- Pic启示录不是神神秘秘的书！不是依靠奇异光照来明白！
- 因为每个时代的基督徒阅读启示录时，都能够从当中明白并且去遵守
正确的阅读方式
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- 约百分之70的经文内有影射allusions 间接使用旧约 indirect quotations、[2] OT
- 原则：解释启示录时得出的结论，不可以违背圣经整体性的教导！NT
- 不要害怕阅读, 需要快速把启示录阅读完毕 （能安稳、鼓励、警戒你）
- 你要小心谨慎，许多书籍越是神秘、越玄秘你要谨慎小心！
- 不要忘了是能明白与遵守的！
- V3 念这书上预言的和那些听见又遵守其中所记载的，都是有福的
- 帮你读懂启示录（溥卫恩Vern Poythress）， G K Beale (a shorter commentary)
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- （II） 历史实现 ( The Historicist View)
- 采取这样方式读启示录，有如把启示录与历史教科书放在一起看。
- e.g.会认为 七印、七号、七碗 指的是教会在历史中的不同年代
- 启示录变成好像拼图，把历史读进 图像imagery、符号signs、象征symbols
- e.g.兽= 古时逼迫基督教的天主教教皇
- e.g.淫妇象征罗马教皇腐败、e.g.这象征改教运动
- 困难：启示录不是完全按人的历史时间顺序写成的。
- 困难：七号、七碗、七碗所表达是有重复与重叠的信息。Repeated cycles 重复循环
- 螺旋楼梯spiral staircase七号、七碗、是从不同角度表达，并渐进 progressively 增添内容
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- （III） 未来实现[5] （The Futurist View）
- 认为启示录大部分记载是有关基督再来靠近之时发生
- Pic 采取这样方式读启示录，会把启示录与报纸放在一起看。
- 优点：因为启示录（20-22）是清楚指向基督再来时所发生的
- 采取这观点：主要有历史前千派 historic premill 与 时代轮 dispensational [6]
- e.g. 666 到底是谁？20年前流行说比尔盖茨Bill Gates是666 （我对这些推测有保留）
- e.g. 兽的印 是电子付账或者植入人体的晶片 （我对这些推测有保留）
- e.g.以前说十角 （启13:1）指的是欧盟。 不过现在已经有27国家。（我对这些推测有保留）
- 困难：今年是2020年。意味着启示录的记载对古时的基督徒是没有意义的。
此书是写给（这末世时代）给每一个时代的基督徒
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- e.g.撒旦一直不断使用相同的手段（兽、假先知、淫妇）来设法使基督徒离开耶稣
- e.g.启示录中的灾难：每一个时代都面对 战争、地震、海啸、旱灾、瘟疫的地区
- V3 念这书上预言的和那些听见又遵守其中所记载的，都是有福的，因为日期近了。
- 我们最后一定得胜，引主耶稣已经得胜！
[1] But all are agreed that the significant advance in emperor-worship took place in the reign of Domitian (AD 81–96). Whereas the earlier emperors had at best accepted emperor-worship, and at worst actively discouraged it, Domitian seems really to have regarded himself as a god.61 On the score of emperor-worship Domitian’s reign is the most probable by far. It was Domitian above all who demanded worship from his subjects. A difficulty is that we do not know what method he adopted to bring it about. Specifically there is no record of his having executed or imprisoned those who refused to worship him.Morris, L..
Within two weeks of accession, Domitian had restored the cult of the ruling emperor’s genius.[112] He remains a controversial figure, described as one of the very few emperors to scandalously style himself a living divus, as evidenced by the use of “master and god” (dominus et deus) in imperial documents. wiki
[2] It is difficult to understand Revelation without understanding the OT. John identifies himself as a prophet (1:3) in the line of the OT prophets, speaking the word of the Lord in both judgment and promise. Scholars estimate that as many as 278 out of 404 verses in Revelation contain references to the OT and that over five hundred allusions to OT texts are made in total (compared with less than two hundred in all of Paul’s letters). These are allusions (though quite recognizable) rather than direct quotations. Beale, G. K., & Campbell, D. H .
[3] The word preterist refers to the past
[4] The strongest evidence for a preterist approach lies in the connections of Revelation to the situation of the 7 churches. Every one of the messages in Rev. 2-3 contains details about the church situation, including subtle allusions to the larger environment in the city (see commentary on chapters 2-3 and Colin Hemer’s research on the 7 churches in The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia). The problems addressed in Rev. 2-3 continue to be in focus throughout the rest of the Book. The visionary material of Rev. 4:1-22:5 has many linkages backward. For example, references to “those who say that they are Jews and are not” (2:9; 3:9) are connected with the vision of the true Jews in 7:1-8. Satan’s throne in 2:13 relates to the Dragon/Satan in 12:9. Martyrdom in 2:10, 13 links up with martyrdom in 6:9; 11:7; 13:15; 17:6; and 20:4. The promise of the tree of life in 2:7 links with the tree in 22:2. Jezebel in 2:20-22 links with the Prostitute of 17:3ff. And so on. Through these linkages it becomes clear that the whole Book, not just Rev. 2-3, addresses the problems and struggles of the 7 churches in the first century. Poythress
[5] This view takes two forms. Dispensational futurism (or classic dispensationalism) interprets the visions very literally and chronologically as referring to events of history. Generally the order of the visions in chs. 4–21 is seen as representing the actual historical order of events to happen in the yet-future latter days. Israel is restored to its own land immediately prior to 4:1. Then events unfold in the following order: the church is raptured into heaven, there is a seven-year tribulation, the reign of the antichrist begins, the nations gather together to make war against Jerusalem, Christ returns and defeats the nations, Christ rules during the millennium, Satan gathers together unbelievers at the end of the millennium to fight against Christ, and Christ defeats the devil and begins His eternal reign in heaven. Beale, G. K., & Campbell, D. H.
[6] Progressive dispensationalism holds similarly to the above unfolding of events but maintains a looser approach (e.g., the “latter days” began during the church age, and many of the visions are interpreted symbolically and not literally). Modified futurism takes various forms, some affirming that the church is true Israel and that there will be no “pretribulation rapture.” Rather, Christians will pass through the final period of trial. Most if not all events recorded in chs. 4–22 refer to a final period of tribulation and to succeeding events (though some hold that 4:1–8:1 covers the period from Christ’s resurrection up to the end of history). Beale, G. K., & Campbell, D. H.
[7] Different terms used : Idealism: Repeated Pattern of fulfilment by Poythress. The Redemptive-historical Idealist by View G K Beale
In rejecting pretribulationism, Ladd also rejects dispensational interpretation although he distinguishes Israel from the church in some passages. In others he rejects a distinction, holding that promises given to Israel in the Old Testament should be interpreted as having a dual fulfillment, that is, fulfilled both in the church and in Israel. Ladd recognizes that dispensationalism naturally leads to pretribulationism, and therefore he devotes a chapter to a refutation of dispensationalism. John F. Walvoord from Dallas TS
[8] •主题以不同的象征symbols 不同角度，重复进展的表达
[9] As such, the message of the letter is of relevance and value to all believers of all ages, which is why the vision was given to John. We might call this an eclectic redemptive-historical idealist view, since, while the focus is on a symbolic presentation of the battle between good and evil and on specific repeated historical events during the church age, aspects of the preterist, historicist, and futurist views are incorporated (hence “eclectic”). G K Beale
All the school except the historicist school have considerable merit. Can we somehow combine them? If we start with the idealist approach, it is comparatively easy to see how. The images in Revelation enjoy multiple fulfillments. They do so because they embody a general pattern. The arguments in favor of futurism show convincingly that Revelation is interested in the Second Coming and the immediately preceding final crisis (cf. 2 Thess. 2:1-12). But fulfillment in the final crisis does not eliminate earlier instances of the general pattern. We have both a general pattern and a particular embodiment of the pattern in the final crisis. Likewise, the arguments in favor of preterism show convincingly that Revelation is interested in the seven churches and their historic situation. The symbols thus have a particular embodiment in the first century, and we ought to pay attention to this embodiment. Finally, we have a responsibility to apply the message of Revelation to our own situation, because we are somewhere in church history, somewhere in the interadvent period to which the book applies. Here is the grain of truth in the historicist approach. We can sum up these insights in a single combined picture. The major symbols of Revelation represent a repeated pattern. This pattern has a realization in the first century situation of the seven churches. It also has an embodiment in the final crisis. And it has an embodiment now. We pay special attention to the embodiment now, because we must apply the lessons of Revelation to where we are. Poythress
[10] [已实现观（The Preterist View）]e.g. 兽 =罗马皇帝逼迫基督徒。[历史中实现观 ( The Historicist View) ]e.g. 兽 = 古时逼迫基督徒的天主教教皇。[未来实现观 （The Futurist View）]e.g. 兽 = 将来会有一位终极的敌基督出现。精神原则观（The Idealist View）e.g. 兽 = 每个时代逼迫基督徒的王与国