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启示录生命读经 · 第45篇

启示录十二章的异象与以弗所书的一致之处

The Correspondence Between the Vision in Revelation 12 and the Book of Ephesians
1在本篇信息中,我要指出启示录十二12章的异象与以弗所书的一致之处。在启示录十二章,我们对于妇人和她较刚强的部分,男孩子,凭著话与仇敌争战的异象,都有深刻的印象。在以弗所书里,也有一个妇人。我们都知道,以弗所书是一卷论到召会的书,召会就是启示录十二章那妇人的大部分。在以弗所书里,这妇人是基督的妻子。
1In this message I would like to point out the correspondence between the vision in Revelation and the book of Ephesians. In Revelation 12 we all have been impressed with the vision of the woman with her stronger part, the man-child, fighting against the enemy by means of the word. In the book of Ephesians we also have the woman. As we all know, Ephesians is a book on the church, which is the greater part of the woman in Revelation 12. In Ephesians this woman is the wife of Christ.
得加强成为妇人里面
STRENGTHENED TO BECOME
2较刚强的部分在以弗所三章十六节,保罗祷告,求父『照著祂荣耀的丰富,藉著祂的灵,用大能使你们得以加强到里面的人里。』这个加强是发生在我们里面的人里,就是我们那有圣灵内住之重生的灵里。我们越在里面的人里得以加强,就越成为妇人里面较刚强的部分。要成为妇人里面较刚强的部分,关键就是我们在里面的人里得著加强。在十八节保罗继续祷告,使我们『满有力量,能和众圣徒一同领略何谓那阔、长、高、深。』这里的『满有力量,能…』原文的意思是因大能而得加强。我们必须得著加力,以认识我们基督丰富的量度。为了作男孩子,我们不仅要在里面的人里得著加强,也要接受基督一切丰富的滋养。不仅如此,以弗所六章十节还告诉我们,『要在主里,靠著祂力量的权能,得著加力。』按照这章,得刚强的路乃是穿戴神全副的军装,(弗六11,13,)这全副的军装就是包罗万有的基督。穿戴神全副的军装,就是穿戴包罗万有的基督。包罗万有之基督的各面,都必须成为我们的遮盖。因此,从以弗所三章十六节和十八节,以及六章十节和十一节,我们看见,成为妇人里面较刚强部分的路,就是在我们里面的人里得著加强;得著加力,以经历基督的丰富;并且藉著穿戴包罗万有的基督为我们的军装,作刚强的人。因此在以弗所书里,可以找到妇人和男孩子这两面。
2THE STRONGER PART WITHIN THE WOMAN In Ephesians 3:16 Paul prayed that the Father would grant us, “according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man.” This strengthening takes place in our inner man, which is our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The more we are strengthened in our inner man, the more we become the stronger part within the woman. The key to becoming the stronger part within the woman is being strengthened in our inner man. In verse 18 Paul continues to pray that we would “be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” Although the King James Version uses the word able, the Greek word translated able means to be strengthened with power. We must be empowered to know the dimensions of the riches of our Christ. In order to be the man - child, we must be not only strengthened in our inner man, but also nourished with all the riches of Christ. Furthermore, Ephesians 6:10 tells us to “be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength.” According to this chapter, the way to be strong is to put on the whole armor of God (vv. 11, 13), which is the all-inclusive Christ. To put on the whole armor of God is to put the all-inclusive Christ upon us. Every aspect of the all - inclusive Christ must become our covering. Thus, in Ephesians 3:16 and 18 and 6:10 and 11, we see that the way to become the stronger part within the woman is to be strengthened in our inner man, to be empowered to experience the riches of Christ, and to be strong through putting on the all - inclusive Christ as our armor. Hence, in the book of Ephesians we find the aspects of both the woman and the man-child.
藉著祷告与仇敌争战
FIGHTING THE ENEMY BY PRAYING
3在以弗所书里,也说到与属灵的黑暗,与诸天界里执政的、掌权的争战。(弗六12。)这些邪恶的权势当然就是仇敌撒但的权势。所以在这卷书里不仅有妇人和男孩子,还有第三者,就是那蛇撒但。以弗所书启示,妇人里面较刚强的部分正与仇敌进行争战,不仅如此,这争战是藉著祷告。男孩子与仇敌争战的方式就是祷告。至终,整卷以弗所书吧我们带到一个高峰─儆醒并祷告。
3In the book of Ephesians we also have the warfare against spiritual darkness, against the principalities and powers in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12). These evil powers are, of course, the powers of the enemy, Satan. Therefore, in this book we see not only the woman and the man-child, but also the third party, Satan, the serpent. Ephesians reveals that a warfare is raging between the stronger part within the woman and the enemy and, furthermore, that this fighting is carried on by praying. The way the man-child fights against the enemy is by prayer. Eventually, the entire book of Ephesians brings us to one climactic point—watching and praying
藉著各样的祷告取用神的话
TAKING THE WORD BY MEANS OF ALL PRAYER
4关于这一点,我们需要看以弗所六章十七、十八节;『还要藉著各样的祷告和祈求,接受救恩的头盔,并那灵的剑,那灵就是神的话;时时在灵里祷告,并且在这事上儆醒,尽力坚持,并为众圣徒祈求。』按照这些经节,争战的路就是藉著各样的祷告取用神的话。我们不该只有一种祷告,乃要有各样的祷告,运用我们的灵多方祷告,取用神的话。这段圣经说到祷读,说到藉著各样的祷告取用神的话。用我们自己的思想、话语和仇敌争战是无效的,我们不能用我们的心思和我们所说的话去与他争战;与仇敌争战最有效的办法就是祷读圣经,祷读经文最好的一段就是以弗所书。你若是花一段时间,全神贯注祷读这一卷书,你就得著加强了。不要想去了解以弗所书,乃要祷读这卷书,甚至以两周时间把整卷书祷读过。若是这样,你就能见证说,你正成为妇人里面较刚强的部分。
4At this point we need to present a literal translation of Ephesians 6:17 and 18. “And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit, and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.” According to these verses, the way to fight is to take the word of God by means of all prayer. We should not simply have one way of prayer, but every means of prayer, exercising our spirit to pray in various ways to take the word of God. This portion of the Bible speaks about pray-reading, about taking the word of God by means of all prayer. It is of no avail to fight against the enemy with our own thoughts and words. We cannot use our mind or utterance to do battle against him. The most effective way to war against the enemy is to pray-read the Word, and the best portion of the Word to pray-read is the book of Ephesians. If you pray- read this book in a concentrated way for a period of time, you will be strengthened. Instead of trying to understand the book of Ephesians, you should pray- read it, even covering the whole book in two weeks. If you do this, you will be able to testify that you are becoming the stronger part within the woman
杀死我们的意见和观念
KILLING OUR OPINIONS AND CONCEPTS
56:57约翰六章的话是为著滋养的。在约翰六章五十七节主说,『吃我的人,也要因我活著。』在六章六十三节祂说,『我对你们所说的话,就是灵,就是生命。』约翰六章的话是为著滋养,以弗所六章的话却是为著杀死。约翰六章的话是粮,以弗所六章的话却是剑,剑不会滋养人,却会杀死人。但这把剑并不是杀你─乃是击杀仇敌和你里面一切消极的东西。我们若要与诸天界里执政的、掌权的争战,就先要杀死我们里面所有的『臭虫。』
5The word in John 6 is for nourishing. In John the Lord said, “He who eats Me shall also live because of Me,” and in 6:63 He said, “The words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.” The word in John 6 is for nourishing, whereas the word in Ephesians 6 is mainly for killing. The word in John 6 is bread, but the word in Ephesians 6 is as word. A sword does not nourish; rather, it kills. But this sword does not kill you—it slays the enemy and all the negative things within you. If we would fight against the principalities and powers in the heavenlies, we must firstly kill all the “bugs” within us.
6你也许不解,这些『臭虫』究竟是甚么。按道理的说法,这些『臭虫』就是我们的心思、情感和意志。但在实行上,最需要杀死的『臭虫』乃是我们的意见,我们需要加强的光,看见我们都满了意见。当你听信息的时候,与圣徒交通的时候。或者读圣经的时候,常把持著许多意见和观念。几乎每个圣徒都坚持一些意见和观念。这里我的点乃是说;我们若要作妇人里面较刚强的部分,藉著祷告与仇敌争战,就必须丢弃一切的意见而取用神的话。换句话说,藉著祷读取用神话语的路,就是杀死我们的意篇里曾指出,遵守主的话,意思就是接受主,并杀死我们一切的意见。若不是因著主的怜悯,我们都会用我们的意见阻挠主的话,我们何等需要祷读这杀死的话,祷读那能杀死我们意见和观念的话!在我召会生活的经历里,许多时候我用我的意见阻挠了主。在主的恢复里,这意见是每个人的难处。我并不是说,我们该像木头一样,没有感觉;当你读经的时候,你是个活人,思想、感觉和判断都是强的,这时你该求主杀死你的意见。这样祷告的圣徒不多。但我们必须说,『主,我要祷请你的话;主,杀死我的意见。』那阻挠你,使你不能和别人同被建造的,主要的还不是你的软弱,甚至也不是你的属世,乃是你的意见。我们都有心爱主,也渴望被建造在召会中,然而,结果却往往没有照著我们的愿望。有些人已经过了十多年的召会生活,仍然不在真实的建造里;他们虽然和建造非常接近,却是与建造分离的。不管他们与建造靠得多近,他们实际上没有被建造在其中。他们的意见从中作梗,使他们不能和别人同被建造。因此,我们都必须祷告说,『主,我要在我里面的人里得著加强;我要得著加力,认识基督的丰富;我也要穿上神全副的军装,作刚强的人。但是难处在于我还没有让你的话来杀死我的意见。』
6You may wonder what these “bugs” are. Speaking in terms of doctrine, you may say that these “bugs” are your mind, emotion, and will. But to be practical, the “bugs” that most need to be killed are our opinions. We need an intensified enlightenment to see that we are filled with opinions. When you listen to a message, fellowship with the saints, or read the Bible, you cling to many opinions and concepts. Nearly every saint holds on to some opinion or concept. My point here is this: If we would be the stronger part in the woman, fighting against the enemy by praying, we must take the word of God by renouncing every opinion. In other words, the way to take the word of God by pray- reading is to have our opinions slain. In message out that to keep the word of the Lord means to take in the Lord and to have all our opinions killed. If it were not for the Lord’s mercy, we would all frustrate the word of the Lord by our opinions. How we need to pray-read the killing word, the word that kills our opinions and concepts! In my experience in the church life, many times I have frustrated the Lord by my opinions. The problem with everyone in the Lord’s recovery is this matter of opinions. I am not saying that we should be without feeling, like a wooden log. When you come to the Word, as a living person who is strong in thought, feeling, and judgment, you must ask the Lord to slay your opinions. Not many saints have prayed in this way. But we must say, “Lord, I am about to pray - read Your word. Lord, kill my opinions.” What has frustrated you from being built up with others is not mainly your weakness or even your worldliness — it is your opinions. We all have a heart to love the Lord and a desire to be built up into the church. Often, however, the outcome has not been according to our desire. Some have been in the church life for more than ten years, but they are still not a part of the actual building. Although they are very close to the building, they are detached from it. No matter how close they are to the building, they are not actually built into it. Their opinions have hindered them from being built up with others. Thus, we all must pray, “Lord, I want to be strengthened in my inner man; I want to be empowered to realize the riches of Christ; and I want to be strong by putting on the whole armor of God. But my problem is that I haven’ty et allowed Your word to kill my opinions.”
7有时一些朋友问我,为甚么我从圣经里得著这么多亮光,他们却得的很少。虽然我们读同样的圣经,他们却没有得著多少亮光。这里是从圣经得亮光的秘诀:让圣经杀死你的意见。有许多人读经是挑著读的,只读符合他们意见的经节,拒绝不合他们意见的经节。然而,真正的祷读乃是取用神话的本身,让牠杀死你的意见。以弗所六章的确告诉我们祷读的方法,乃是要我们藉著各样的祷告取用神的话。当我们祷读的时候,神的话所要作的第一件事,就是杀死我们的意见。你如果不让圣经击杀你的意见,你就不能接近空中的仇敌,与他争战。我们的经历证实,祷读不是先滋养我们,乃是先杀死我们的意见。每逢我们有实际的祷读,我们的意见便被置于死地。你也许不晓得你的意见是甚么。弟兄们把持著一个意见,他们的妻子也把持著另一个意见。你以为你是个好丈夫,却不知道你对妻子牢牢把持自己的意见。你爱她,可能很少与她发生口角,但是你在深处却宝贝一些与她不同的意见。当然,从作妻子的这一面来说,也是一样。所以,丈夫和妻子各自把持不同的观念。结果,他们不仅无法在召会生活中与众弟兄姊妹同被建造,就是在婚姻生活中也不能彼此被建造。你和你的妻子也许已经蒙恩多年,并且多年爱主,寻求真理;然而你们可能到现在仍旧各持己见。你们爱主也爱召会,你们两人也彼此相爱,但你们仍固执己见。这些意见就叫你们不能在召会中被建造。我们每个人都是固执己见的。我承认自己已往非常固执,但是赞美主,我的意见经过了许多的杀死。虽然我不能夸口说,我不再坚持甚么,我却能说,因著祂的杀死,我已很难坚持甚么了。按照以弗所六章的含意,我们藉著祷读取用杀死的话当作剑,这剑就能击杀我们所有的意见。
7Occasionally, some friends have asked me why I receive so much light from the Word and why they receive very little. Although we read the same Bible, they do not receive much light. Here is the secret to receiving light from the Word: Allow the Word to kill your opinions. Many read the Word in a selective way, taking whatever matches their opinion and rejecting whatever does not match it. Genuine pray - reading, on the contrary, is taking the Word itself and letting it kill your opinions. Ephesians 6 does tell us the way to pray-read. It is to take the Word by means of all prayer. As we pray-read, the first thing the Word will do is kill our opinions. If you do not allow the Word to slay your opinions, you will not be able to reach the enemy in the air to do battle with him. Our experience proves that pray-reading does not firstly nourish us; it firstly kills our opinions. Every time we have some practical pray-reading, our opinions are put to death. You may be wondering what your opinions are. The brothers hold on to one opinion, and their wives hold on to a different opinion. You may think that you are a good husband, but you do not realize how strongly you cling to your opinions in relation to your wife. You love her and you may rarely argue with her, but, deep within, you treasure opinions that differ from hers. Of course, the same is true with the wives. Therefore, the husbands and wives hold to different concepts. As a result, they have not only been hindered from being built up with the brothers and sisters in the church life, but they have not even been built up with each other in their married life. Although you and your wife may have been saved for many years and may have spent those years loving the Lord and seeking the truth, up until this very moment you may still be clinging to your opinions. You love the Lord, you love the church, and you love each other, but you still hold to your opinions. And these opinions hinder you from being built up in the church. Every one of us is opinionated. I confess that I used to be very opinionated, but I praise the Lord that my opinions have undergone a good deal of killing. Although I do not boast that I do not hold on to anything, I can say that, by His killing, it is difficult for me to cling to anything. According to the implication of Ephesians 6, by pray - reading we take the killing word as the sword that is able to slay all our opinions.
穿上基督为军装的路
THE WAY TO PUT ON CHRIST AS OUR ARMOR
8我们若仍固执己见,就不能穿上基督作我们的军装。为了要穿上神全副的军装,我们的意见必须被杀死。许多人有种种的意见,却不以基督作他们的军装;他们的思想、愿望和拣选都受制于他们的意见。因著他们有这些意见,就无法有神全副的军装。他们的心思里存有意见,他们的头上却没有基督作头盔来遮盖。要戴上救恩的头盔作我们的遮盖,惟一的路就是征服并杀死我们的意见和观念。我们需要祷告说,『主阿,怜悯我!击杀我的思想、意见和观念。』我们若真心这样祷告,就必在头盔的遮盖下。至于胸甲也是这样。你也许有自己的口味和选择,也许特别喜欢甚么,或特别厌恶甚么;但是你若如此,就不能穿戴胸甲。惟有在你的拣选被杀死的时候,你才能穿上基督作胸甲,遮盖你的良心。
8If we hold to our opinions, we shall not be able to put on Christ as our armor. In order to put on the whole armor of God, our opinions must be killed. Instead of having Christ as their armor, many have their various opinions. Their thinking, desiring, and choosing are governed by their opinions. Because they have all these opinions, they do not have the whole armor of God. They may have opinions in their mind, but they do not have Christ as their helmet covering their head. The only way to put on the helmet of salvation as our covering is to have our opinions and concepts subdued and killed. We need to pray, “O Lord, have mercy on me and slay my thoughts, opinions, and concepts.” If we sincerely pray in this way, we shall be under the covering of the helmet. The same is true with respect to the breastplate. You may have your own tastes and choices, and you may be strong in certain likes and dislikes. But if this is your condition, you cannot put on the breastplate. Only when your choice is killed will you be able to put on Christ as your breastplate to cover your conscience
9虽然我多年前就在道理上明白了以弗所六章,但感谢主,今天我是在经历上认识这章,我看见了,我们若要穿上包罗万有的基督作神全副的军装,我们所有的思想、观念、意见、喜好和拣选,都必须被置于死地。惟有如此,我们才能完全在包罗万有之基督的遮盖下。我们穿上了这军装后,便能与诸天界里邪恶的权势争战。许多人失去了与诸天界里那些执政的、掌权的争战的资格,是因为他们仍受自己观念、意见和拣选的缠累。他们只知道在他们里面的争战,不晓得在空中的争战。他们无法从自已里面出来,侵入空中敌人的领土。他们就像一架战斗机,因天气恶劣而落地,这『恶劣的天气』就是己,满了意见、拣选、意向、决断、喜好和厌恶。很多人因受这些东西的缠累,不能穿上包罗万有的基督为军装以遮盖、装备他们,因此也就无法飞腾到空中,与诸天界里的仇敌争战。他们仍然被封在自己的意见和观念里。
9Although I knew Ephesians 6 in a doctrinal way years ago, I thank the Lord that today I know this chapter in the way of experience. I have seen that, if we would put on the all-inclusive Christ as the whole armor of God, all our thoughts, concepts, opinions, affections, and choices must be put to death. Only then shall we be completely under the covering of the all-inclusive Christ. Having this armor upon us, we shall be able to fight the evil powers in the heavenlies. Many are disqualified from fighting against the principalities and powers in the heavenlies because they are entangled by their concepts, opinions, and choices. The only fight they know is the fight within themselves, not the warfare in the air. They are not able to get out of themselves and penetrate into the enemy’s territory in the air. They are like a fighter plane that is grounded because of bad weather. This “bad weather” is the self, full of opinions, choices, intentions, decisions, likes, and dislikes. Because many are entangled with these things and thus have not put on the all-inclusive Christ as the armor to cover and equip them, they cannot soar into the air to war against the enemy in the heavenlies. Rather, they are still enveloped in all their own opinions and concepts
THE PRACTICAL WAY TO COME
经历这异象实际的路
INTO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE VISION
10启示录十二章有异象,以弗所书有经历这异象实际的路。虽然启示录十二章揭示了妇人里面较刚强的部分,却没有告诉我们怎样才能成为这较刚强的部分。在以弗所书中所揭开的路乃是:在我们里面的人里得著加强;得著加力,以经历基督的丰富;并且藉著祷读那杀死的话,穿上神的军装,作刚强的人。我们藉著祷读所接受的话要杀死我们里面一切消极的元素。这些消极的元素越被杀死,我们就越得著神军装的装备。有了这样的装备之后,我们便能离地,与诸天界里执政的、掌权的争战。因此,作男孩子争战的路,是在以弗所六章。我知道在主恢复里的众召会中,人人都爱主,所以有负担和你们有这样的交通。你虽然爱主,却仍有许多意见需要被杀死。那杀死的话必须在我们里面作工。这不是藉著教导或听信息可以作成的;这乃是正确祷读主话的结果。当一字一字浸透我们里面的时候,我们的意见、观念、愿望、和拣选就被杀死了。我建议你用两周时间去祷读整卷以弗所书,就可以证实我所说的。这样的祷读要暴露你所有的意见和观念,且要把你带到一个地步,使你甘心乐意弃绝牠们。然后,你就能说,『我在召会生活中和弟兄姊妹在一起,以及在婚姻生活中,不再把持任何意见。主阿,因著我不再受地上事物的缠累,便能随时离地,升到诸天界里,去与仇敌争战。没有甚么能把我拉下来。』你若祷读以弗所书,就必看见你现今在那里,也必晓得你需要的是甚么。
10In Revelation 12 we have the vision, and in Ephesians we have the practical way to come into the experience of this vision. Although Revelation 12 unveils the stronger part within the woman, it does not give us the way to become this stronger part. The way, unfolded in the book of Ephesians, is to be strengthened in our inner man, to be empowered to experience the riches of Christ, and to be strong through putting on the armor of God by pray-reading the killing word. The word we take in by pray-reading will kill every negative element in our being. The more these negative elements are killed, the more we shall be equipped with the armor of God. After we have been thus equipped, we shall be able to take off from the ground and fight against the principalities and powers in the heavenlies. Hence, the way to fight the battle as the man-child is found in Ephesians 6. Because I realize that everyone in the churches in the Lord’s recovery loves the Lord, I have been burdened to fellowship with you in this way. Although you love the Lord, you still have many opinions that need to be killed. The killing word must do its work within us. This cannot happen by teaching or by listening to messages; it is the result of a proper pray-reading of the Word. As word after word penetrates into our being, our opinions, concepts, desires, and choices are slain. I suggest that you take two weeks to prove this by pray-reading the entire book of Ephesians. This pray-reading will expose all your opinions and concepts, and it will bring you to the point where you will be willing to renounce them all. Then you will be able to say, “In the church life with the brothers and sisters and in my married life, I do not hold on to any opinions. Lord, because I am no longer entangled by anything on earth, at any moment I can take off from the ground and soar into the heavenlies to fight against the enemy. Nothing can hold me down.” If you pray-read the book of Ephesians, you will see where you are and you will know what you need