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约珥书生命读经 · 第2篇

内容（一）

The Content (1)
1读经：约珥书一章二节至二章十一节。约珥书包括三个主要的点。第一个主要的点，是四种蝗虫（列国）的灾害，或是一种蝗虫之四个阶段的灾害。第二个主要的点，是终极完成之灵的浇灌。这浇灌引进召会生活，也就是奥秘时期的内容。第三个主要的点是复兴，不仅以色列得复兴，整个宇宙也要复兴。这复兴要终极完成于新天新地和新耶路撒冷。本篇信息我们要来看第一个主要的点。
1Scripture Reading: Joel 1:2—2:11 The book of Joel contains three main points. The first main point is the plague of the four kinds of locusts (the nations) or of one kind of locust in four stages. The second main point is the outpouring of the consummated Spirit. This outpouring initiated the church life, which is the content of the age of mystery. The third main point is the restoration not only of Israel but of the entire universe. This restoration will consummate in the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem. In this message we will consider the first of these three main points
2壹蝗虫（列国）的灾害一章二节至二章十一节说到蝗虫（列国）的灾害。
2I. THE PLAGUE OF THE LOCUSTS (THE NATIONS) The plague of the locusts (the nations) is covered in 1:2—2:11
一 豫言的重要性
A. The Seriousness of the Prophecy
3一章二至四节给我们看见这豫言的重要性。
3Joel 1:2-4 shows us the seriousness of the prophecy
1 给民中的老年人和这地一切的居民
1. A Message for the Elders among the People and for All the Inhabitants of the Land
4民中的老年人当听这信息；这地的一切居民要留意听，他们要将这事传说与儿女，儿女传说与子孙，子孙传说与后代。（珥一2～3，诗七八6。）
4The elders among the people should hear this message, and all the inhabitants of the land should give heed to it. They should tell their children about it, their children should tell their children, and their children should tell the next generation (vv. 2-3; Psa. 78:6
2 剪蝗、群蝗、舔蝗和毁蝗
2. The Cutting Locust, the Swarming Locust, the Licking Locust, and the Consuming Locust
5约珥书一章四节说，剪蝗剩下的，群蝗来吃；群蝗剩下的，舔蝗来吃；舔蝗剩下的，毁蝗来吃。这节用四个字来形容蝗虫，可能指一种蝗虫在不同的生长阶段。我们将会看见，这一种蝗虫的四个阶段，相当于但以理二章大人像的四个部分，但以理七章的四兽，以及撒迦利亚一章的四角。剪蝗是指巴比伦帝国，群蝗是指玛代波斯帝国，舔蝗是指希腊帝国，毁蝗是指罗马帝国。
5Joel 1:4 says that what the cutting locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the licking locust has eaten; and what the licking locust has left, the consuming locust has eaten. Four words for locust are used in this verse, probably referring to one kind of locust in various stages of growth. As we will see, this one kind of locust in four stages corresponds to the four sections of the great human image in Daniel 2, to the four beasts in Daniel 7, and to the four horns in Zechariah 1. The cutting locust refers to the Babylonian Empire; the swarming locust, to the Medo-Persian Empire; the licking locust, to the Grecian Empire; and the consuming locust, to the Roman Empire
二 有一国又强盛又无数，上来侵犯耶和华的地
B. The Coming Up of a Nation, Mighty and without Number, against the Land of Jehovah
6约珥书一章六节上半说到有一国又强盛又无数，上来侵犯耶和华的地。
6Joel 1:6a speaks of the coming up of a nation, mighty and without number, against the land of Jehovah.
1 比喻为一种蝗虫的四个阶段
1. Likened to One Kind of Locust in Four Stages
7这国的上来比喻为一种蝗虫的四个阶段：剪蝗、群蝗、舔蝗和毁蝗。（一4，二2，4～11。）这连续四种蝗虫，指四个连续残害以色列的帝国：巴比伦帝国、玛代波斯帝国、希腊帝国和罗马帝国。
7The coming of such a nation is likened to one kind of locust in four stages: the cutting locust, the swarming locust, the licking locust, and the consuming locust (v. 4; 2:2, 4-11). The four successive kinds of locusts refer to the nations which devastated Israel in four consecutive empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome
2 更进一步比喻为有四部分的大人像
2. Further Likened to the Great Human Image in Four Sections
8这强盛的国更进一步比喻为有四部分的大人像：金头－巴比伦；银胸和膀臂－玛代波斯；铜腹和腰股－希腊；铁腿和脚－罗马。（但二31～33。）
8This mighty nation is further likened to the great human image in four sections: the golden head— Babylon; the silver breast and arms—Medo-Persia; the bronze abdomen and thighs—Greece; and the iron legs with the feet—Rome (Dan. 2:31-33
3 更进一步比喻为四个兽
3. Further Likened to Four Beasts
9有一又强盛又无数的国要上来，这更进一步比喻为四个兽：狮子、熊、豹、以及头三兽之总和者。（但七2～8，启十三2上。）
9The coming up of a nation, mighty and without number, is further likened to four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and the one who is the totality of the first three (Dan. 7:2-8; Rev. 13:2a
4 最终比喻为四角
4. Likened Ultimately to Four Horns
10这国最终比喻为四角。（亚一18～。）四角、四兽、大人像的四部分、和四种蝗虫，都是指这四个帝国。在整个人类历史中，在神对付以色列并惩罚外邦人的事上，这四个帝国一直是中心。
10This nation is likened ultimately to four horns (Zech. 1:18-21). The four horns, the four beasts, the four 21 sections of the great image, and the four kinds of locusts all refer to the same four empires. Throughout human history, in God’s dealing with Israel and in God’s punishment upon the Gentiles, these four empires have been and still are the center.
5 毁坏耶和华的地
5. To Devastate the Land of Jehovah
11约珥书一章六节上半所题的这国要来毁坏耶和华的地，吞灭百姓，并将他们撕成碎片，使这地荒废。（珥一6下～7上，二3，但七7，赛十3，耶二五11。）因著这毁坏，就没有食物给百姓吃，也没有酒使他们欢乐；（珥一5，7，10～12，16上，17；）没有素祭和奠祭给祭司在神的殿中献给神；（一9，13，16下；）也没有草场给牲畜、牛群和羊群。（一18～20。）
11The nation mentioned in Joel 1:6a came to devastate the land of Jehovah, devouring and breaking the people into pieces and making the land a desolation (vv. 6b-7a; 2:3; Dan. 7:7; Isa. 10:3; Jer. 25:11). Because of this desolation, there were no food to feed the people and no wine to cheer the people (Joel 1:5, 7, 10-12, 16a, 17), no meal offering and no drink offering for the priests to offer to God in His temple (vv. 9, 13, 16b), and no pasture for the beasts, herds of cattle, and herds of sheep (vv. 18-20
6 从巴比伦帝国第一个王尼布甲尼撒起，到罗马帝国最后一个该撒
6. From Nebuchadnezzar, the First King of the Babylonian Empire, to the Last Caesar of the Roman Empire
12毁坏耶和华的地的四个帝国，包括从巴比伦帝国第一个王尼布甲尼撒起，经过玛代波斯帝国和马其顿希腊帝国，到罗马帝国最后一个该撒（敌基督）。（但七2～8，八3～14，十一～45，启十三1～18，十七11～14，十九19～21。）巴比伦事实上开始于宁录所建造的巴别城。（创十8～10。）宁录是敌基督的第一个豫表。
12The empires that have devastated the land of Jehovah include the empires from Nebuchadnezzar, the first king of the Babylonian Empire, through the Medo - Persian Empire and the Macedonian and Grecian Empire, to the last Caesar (Antichrist) of the Roman Empire (Dan. 7:2-8; 8:3-14; 11:2-45; Rev. 13:1-18; 2 17:11-14; 19:19-21). Babylon actually began with Babel, which was founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10), the first type of Antichrist.
13圣经把这四个帝国比喻为蝗虫。蝗虫的灾害是非常可怕的；蝗虫能在一日之间把庄稼吃尽，人却无法阻止。巴比伦、玛代波斯、希腊、罗马的军队好像蝗虫，把以色列全然毁坏：吞灭百姓、土地、田地、出产、食物和酒，叫他们没有祭物。表面上，这四个帝国是人，像大人像一样，代表人类政权的总和。但在神眼中，这四个帝国乃是兽：巴比伦是狮子，玛代波斯是熊，希腊是豹，罗马是前三者的总和，是最凶猛、造成最大残害的兽。至终，这四个帝国乃是四角，为撒但使用，残害神的选民。这些论到这事的豫言，如今都成了历史。但以理七章十二节说，『其余的兽，权柄都被夺去，生命却仍延长，直到所定的时期和时候。』（另译。）这指明，每个帝国被击败之后，国权虽被夺去，文化却被后来接续的帝国所采纳，因此其生命仍然延长。巴比伦文化为玛代波斯所采纳，玛代波斯文化为希腊所采纳，希腊文化为罗马所采纳。从这里我们看见，罗马帝国承继前面三个帝国的文化。罗马帝国的国权结束了，但牠的『生命』，就是牠的文化，仍然持续著。就某种意义来说，我们都是罗马帝国的公民，因为今天，特别在政治法律方面，我们仍在罗马帝国精神的影响下。今天世界的文化是罗马的文化，而罗马文化又是累积的文化，包含了巴比伦、波斯、希腊的文化。
13The Bible likens these four empires to locusts. A plague of locusts is terrible. In just one day an entire harvest can be consumed; nothing can stop the devouring locusts. The armies of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome were like locusts coming to devastate Israel totally, devouring their people, land, fields, produce, food, and drink and cutting off their offerings. Apparently, these four empires are human like the great human image representing the totality of human government. However, in the sight of God they are beasts. Babylon is the lion; Medo-Persia is the bear; Greece is the leopard; and Rome, being the totality of the first three, is the most wild and devastating beast of all. Ultimately, these four empires are four horns used by Satan to devastate God’s chosen people. The prophecies concerning this are now history. Daniel 7:12 says, “As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was given to them for a season and a time.” This indicates that as each empire was defeated, although its dominion was taken away, its culture was adopted by each succeeding empire. Thus each empire continued to live. The culture of Babylon was adopted by Medo-Persia; the culture of Medo- Persia was adopted by Greece; and the culture of Greece was adopted by Rome. From this we see that the Roman Empire inherited the cultures of the three foregoing empires. The dominion of the Roman Empire is over, but its “life,” its culture, continues. In a sense, we all are Roman citizens, for we are under the influence of the spirit of the Roman Empire, especially in the matters of politics and law. Today the world’s culture is Roman, yet, being an accumulated culture, it contains the cultures of the Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks
14圣经说到四件事：神对祂选民的惩治、神对列国的惩罚、基督的显现、以及复兴。约珥书只有短短三章，却说到了这四件事。首先，神打发蝗虫残害以色列，这是神对以色列之极大邪恶的惩治。第二，这卷书启示神要惩罚并审判外邦列国。第三，约珥书说到经过过程、终极完成、复合之灵的浇灌，这灵就是神的灵复合了基督的人性、基督的死及其功效、基督的复活及其能力。这就是五旬节那天浇灌下来的圣灵，这灵就是终极完成的基督，为著基督的显现。这显现开始于基督的成为肉体，并藉著那灵的浇灌得著印证和加强；因为藉著那个浇灌，个人的基督成了团体的基督，引进召会生活和召会时期。召会是敬虔的极大奥秘，就是神显现于肉体。（提前三15～。）因此，我们就是基督的显现。现今，我们在等候约珥书所启示的第四件事－复兴的荣耀之日，那复兴要终极完成于新天新地的新耶路撒冷。这是圣经的启示，也是宇宙的历史。蝗虫所表征的四个帝国非常属世，却被神的匠人（基督－但二34～35）所使用，作祂的工具，来惩治以色列并惩罚列国。神藉此正在完成所需要的一切，为著基督完满的显现，使整个宇宙得著完全的复兴。
14The Bible covers four things: God’s chastisement on His elect people, God’s punishment of the nations, the manifestation of Christ, and the restoration. These four matters are covered in Joel, a short book of three chapters. First, God sent the locusts to devastate Israel. This was His chastisement for Israel’s great evils. Second, this book reveals that God will punish and judge the Gentile nations. Third, Joel speaks concerning the outpouring of the processed, consummated, compound Spirit, the Spirit of God compounded with Christ’s humanity, Christ’s death and its effectiveness, and Christ’s resurrection with its power. This is the Holy Spirit who was poured out on the day of Pentecost, and this Spirit is the consummated Christ for the manifestation of Christ. This manifestation began with the incarnation of Christ and has been confirmed and strengthened by the outpouring of the Spirit because, through that outpouring, the individual Christ became the corporate Christ, initiating the church life and the church age. The church is the great mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:1 5-1 6). Hence, we are the manifestation of 16 Christ. Now we are awaiting the fourth matter revealed in the book of Joel — the glorious day of restoration, which will consummate in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. This is the revelation of the Bible, and this is the history of the universe. The four empires signified by the locusts are very worldly, but they are used by God’s Craftsman (Christ—Dan. 2:34-35) as His instrument to chastise Israel and punish the nations. In this way God is accomplishing whatever is needed for Christ to be manifested in full, that the entire universe may be fully restored.