被提不是啟示錄的信息THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS NOTABOUT THE RAPTURE
作者: Richard Gilbert 譯者: Maria Marta
「我向一切聽見這書上預言的作見證：若有人在這預言上加添什麼，神必將寫在這書上的災禍加在他身上；這書上的預言，若有人刪去什麼，神必從這書上所寫的生命樹和聖城刪去他的份。」(啟廿二18)
每當發生重大新聞事件，特別是涉及中東問題時，似乎就有一套重新解讀啟示錄的新書出版。因此，讀者開始得到這個印象也就不足為奇了：啟示錄是一本非常幽深、神秘的書卷，若不是完全不可能明白，也是很難理解的。
1.啟示錄的主角是耶穌
聖經的基本信息對任何能閱讀的人都是清楚的。 這並非指聖經的每一部分都同樣清楚。有些段落確實很難理解，這對教會經歷數個世紀才達成正確解釋的共識是有幫助的。但是關於人類的基本處境，耶穌是誰，祂為我們做了什麽，我怎樣才能得救等基本信息都是非常清楚的。
聖經的主角是基督。基督是主角在啟示錄和在聖經任何其他書卷都是一樣的。重申，這不是說啟示錄的所有內容都像約翰福音那樣清楚，我也沒有聲稱完全理解所有的經文。畢竟，啟示錄屬於啟示文學（apocalyptic
literature），也就是說，它充滿象征意義。它使用第一世紀猶太人和基督徒非常熟悉的數字和圖像來清楚闡述它的信息。 要理解啟示錄，就必須了解這些數字和圖像所代表的含義。
大多數人已熟悉其中的一些數字和圖像的含義（3是三一體真神的數目，4是創造的數目，6是人的數字，7是完美的數字，12是以色列支派或使徒的數目， 1000是完滿的數目 -----因此當使用如數字666時，總是指缺乏完滿，或者144,000是12平方乘以1000，其意思是指大量, 所有人都包括在內, 沒有遺漏）。
但基督是啟示錄的主角，就像基督是聖經其他書卷的主角一樣，任何以其他中心結束的解釋，不僅錯失此書卷的全部信息，而且簡單地說，解釋錯誤。「基督是主角」，我的意思是指關於祂的位格（祂既完全是人，也完全是神），和祂為我們所做的工作（祂的生活、死亡、復活），而不僅僅是關於祂第二次降臨。
2. 啟示錄是寫給受逼迫的教會
首先要注意這封書信是在什麼情況下寫很重要。 約翰寫信的目的是什麼？這封信寫的時候，教會正遭受越來越多的迫害，約翰本人也因迫害被流放到拔摩島。伴隨巨大的邪惡勢力，國家權力也開始被用於對抗教會。 基督徒因著信仰而受到嚴刑拷打與殺害。 他們看見他們的朋友和他們的家人恐怖地死去。「作基督徒的智慧」的質疑聲開始出現。 基督曾應許他們陰間的門不能勝過勝過祂的教會。 現在他們開始懷疑這種可能性。
所以約翰寫信鼓勵他們。他向他們表示，萬事仍掌管在上帝全能的手中。基督，「被賜予所有權力和權柄」，最終將戰勝列陣對抗教會的邪惡勢力。 這是因為基督實際上已打敗他們。 基督「是全能者」；「是首先的，也是末後的」；「是創始的，也是成終的」；「是阿拉法，也是俄梅格」（一8; 廿一6; 廿二13）。一言蔽之，祂就是上帝自己，那位「那昔在、今在、以後永在的神」（比較一4與一8）。祂是「為世上君王元首的耶穌基督」。
3. 勝利是啟示錄的信息
無論發生什麽事（甚至死亡），信徒都能鼓起勇氣，因為他們永恒的命運掌握在基督的手中。 基督已為他們作成一切。 因為認識到這點，圍繞寶座的長老們將他們的冠冕放在基督的腳前（他們意識到，他們不能將所處的地位，和冠冕的賞賜算作他們自己的功勞，一切唯獨歸功於基督）。 基督是「從死裡首先復活」（一5），祂「現在又活了，直活到永永遠遠」（一18）。 借著為我們受死，祂「用自己的血使我們脫離罪」（一5）。
基督將上帝的忿怒傾倒在自己身上，代替我們受死，義的代替不義的。祂滿足了上帝公義的要求，取消了我們所欠的債務。因此，祂解除了撒旦攻擊我們所用的最強的武器：在上帝面前控告我們的罪的能力 (參看十二10)。 基督復活了，「拿著死亡和陰間的鑰匙」 (一18)。唯有基督才配都作我們當中沒有人能作的 (展開那書卷、揭開那七印) (第五章)。
基督徒是義人，是因為基督清洗了他的衣袍，並「用羔羊的血把衣裳洗白淨了」(啟七14)，也就是說，是因為基督的死，他的罪得以掩蓋。 新娘（教會）赴婚宴所穿的細麻衣是恩賜的禮物。 聖經告訴我們，這種細麻布代表義行。 我們的義不是我們自己的，而是賜予的。 用改革家的話來說，我們的義是外來的義。基督的義賜給了我們（十九7-8）。這應當鼓舞遭受迫害的基督徒，因為，如果基督能夠作成這一切，那麽世上萬事也都掌握在祂的手中。
最終，列陣對抗教會的邪惡勢力將被徹底擊敗，他們所有的行為都將受到懲罰。撒旦再也不能攻擊教會。牠將被摔下去，永遠困在火湖裏。牠接近上帝的路將被切斷。上帝將把所有的敵人都放在基督的腳下，基督將建立完全、永遠，現在已開始掌權的統治。之後，將有一個新天新地，那裏不再有痛苦、死亡、眼淚，因為祂將擦去一切的眼淚，基督徒將永遠與祂同在。基督是中心。基督拯救我們，非因我們的任何作為配得拯救。基督的義歸算給我們，正是在這個基礎上，我們才擁有與天父同在的地位。
這就是啟示錄的信息。災難不是啟示錄的信息。被提不是啟示錄的信息。世上的政府不是啟示錄的信息。俄羅斯攻打以色列不是啟示錄的信息。基督，以及祂所做的，繼續做的，將會做的才是啟示錄的信息。 而且，正如我們不能刪去任何內容一樣，我們也不能添加任何內容，否則本文開頭的警告將適用於我們。阿們！主耶穌啊，我願你來！
Adapted
from Richard Gilbert,"Christ & The Book of Revelation" Modern
Reformation, Mar/April 1993. Used by permission.
THE
BOOK OF REVELATION IS NOT ABOUT THE RAPTURE
Richard
Gilbert
I
warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds
anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book (Rev.
22:18).
Every
time something big happens in the news, especially if it involves the Middle
East, it seems a new set of books, reinterpreting the book of Revelation, is
published. It is, therefore, no surprise when the reader begins to get the
impression that the book of Revelation is a very dark, mysterious book that is difficult,
if not downright impossible, to understand.
1.
Revelation is about Jesus.
The
basic message of the Scriptures is clear to anyone who can read them. This does
not mean that every part of Scripture is equally clear. Some passages are,
indeed, difficult to understand and it helps to have the consensus of the
Church through the centuries to correctly interpret them. But the basic message
of what man's condition is, who Jesus is and what He's done for us, and how I
can be saved, is perfectly clear.
The
Scriptures are about Christ. This is no less true of Revelation than it is of
any other book of the Bible. Again, this is not to say that everything in
Revelation is as plain as the Gospel of John, nor do I claim to understand
everything in it perfectly. After all, the book of Revelation is part of the
genre known as apocalyptic literature, that is to say, it is full of symbolism.
It employs numbers and images that were very familiar to 1st century Jews and
Christians to get its message across. To understand the book of Revelation it
is essential to have some knowledge of what these numbers and images represent.
Most
people are familiar with some of these already (3 is the number for the triune
God, 4 is the number for creation, 6 is the number for man, 7 is the number for
perfection, 12 represents the tribes of Israel or the apostles, 1000 is a
number for completeness–so when a number like 666 is used it means always
coming short of perfection, or a number like 144,000 is 12 squared times 1000
meaning a great multitude, everyone who's meant to be included is, with no one
left out).
But
Revelation, like the rest of Scripture, is about Christ, and any interpretation
that ends up with something else as central has not only missed the entire
message of the book but, to put it simply, is wrong. By, "about
Christ", I mean that it is about His person (He is both fully God and
fully man), and His work (His life, death, and resurrection) on our behalf, and
not merely about His second coming.
2.
Revelation was written to the persecuted church.
It is
important to note first the circumstances under which this letter was written.
What was John's purpose? This letter was written during a time when the Church
was increasingly being persecuted, John was himself exiled to the island of
Patmos under this persecution. The power of the state was beginning to be used
with great force against the Church. Christians were being tortured and killed
for their faith. They were watching their friends and their family members die
horrible deaths. Doubts were beginning to arise about the wisdom of being a
Christian. Christ had promised them that the gates of Hell would not prevail
against His Church. Now they were beginning to wonder if it actually might.
So
John writes a letter to encourage them. He shows them how all things are still
in God's all-powerful hands. Christ, to whom "all power and authority has
been granted" will ultimately triumph over the forces of evil arrayed
against the Church. This is so because He has, in fact, already defeated them.
Christ is "the Almighty," "the First and the last,"
"the Beginning and the End," "the Alpha and the Omega"
(1:8; 21: 6; 22:13). In short, He is God Himself, the one "who is and who
was, and who is to come" (compare 1:4 with 1:8). He is "the ruler of
the kings of the earth" (1:5).
3.
Revelation is about victory.
The
believer can take courage, whatever happens to him (even death), because his
eternal destiny is in Christ's hands. Christ has done it all for him.
Recognizing this, the elders around the throne lay their crowns at His feet
(they realize that they can take no credit for either being there, or for
receiving their crowns, and that they owe all to Christ alone). Christ is
"the firstborn from the dead" (1:5). He "was dead," yet is
"alive forever and ever" (1:18). By His death on our behalf, He
"has freed us from our sins" (1:5).
By
emptying the wrath of God onto Himself, and dying in our place, the just for
the unjust, He has satisfied the justice of God, and canceled the debt we owed.
Thus, He disarmed Satan of his greatest weapon against us, his ability to
accuse us of our sins before God (cf. 12:10). By His resurrection He
"holds the keys of death and Hades" (1:18). It is Christ who, alone,
is found worthy when none of us were (Ch. 5).
The
Christian is righteous because he has washed his robe and "made it white
in the blood of the lamb," i.e., because Christ's death has covered his
sins. The fine linen that the bride (the Church) wears, to the wedding feast,
is a gift. We are told that this fine linen represents righteous deeds. Our
righteousness is something given to us. It is not our own. It is, to use a word
the Reformers used, an alien righteousness. It is Christ's righteousness given
to us (19:7-8). This is meant to give courage to the Christian undergoing
persecution, because, if Christ has been able to do all this, then surely, all
things in this world are in His hands as well.
Ultimately,
the forces of evil, arrayed against the Church, will be defeated completely, and
all their deeds will be punished. Satan will no longer be able to attack the
Church. He will be cast down and bound forever in the lake of fire. His access
to God will be cut off. God will put all enemies under Christ's feet and He
will establish, fully and forever, the reign He now already has over all
things. Then, there will be a new Heaven and a new earth where there will be no
more suffering, no more death, no more tears, for He shall wipe away all tears,
and the Christian shall be with Him forever. Christ is central. We are saved by
Him, not by anything we have done to deserve it. His righteousness is imputed
to us, and it's on this basis that we have any standing with the Father.
This
is the message of Revelation. It is not about a tribulation. It is not about a
rapture. It is not a one world government. It is not about Russia attacking
Israel. It is about Christ, and what He has done, continues to do, and will do,
for us. And, just as we must not take away anything from the message, we must
not add anything to it by our interpretation, or the warnings contained therein
will apply to us. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Adapted
from Richard Gilbert,"Christ & The Book of Revelation" Modern Reformation,
Mar/April 1993. Used by permission.