s********n
发帖数: 26222 | | a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 2 圣经上说的
世界大难里面， 最重要的主角是龙和兽
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: 感觉龙好像就是西方文明的克星似的
| s********n
发帖数: 26222 | 3 你详细介绍点，多打几个字不费事吧
【在 a*******d 的大作中提到】
: 圣经上说的
: 世界大难里面， 最重要的主角是龙和兽
| a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 4 看启示录
里面龙和兽，并妖妇，折腾了整个世界， 使得整个世界物欲横流， 道德萧条
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: 你详细介绍点，多打几个字不费事吧
| s********n
发帖数: 26222 | 5 我靠，那中国龙岂不是就是基督教文明的宿命？
难怪西方人要肢解中国的龙文化图腾
【在 a*******d 的大作中提到】
: 看启示录
: 里面龙和兽，并妖妇，折腾了整个世界， 使得整个世界物欲横流， 道德萧条
| a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 6 hehe
中国有文化， 关龙多大的事
佛道儒，都跟龙无关
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: 我靠，那中国龙岂不是就是基督教文明的宿命？
: 难怪西方人要肢解中国的龙文化图腾
| s********n
发帖数: 26222 | 7 图腾是图腾，文化是文化啊，不冲突啊
【在 a*******d 的大作中提到】
: hehe
: 中国有文化， 关龙多大的事
: 佛道儒，都跟龙无关
| w*********g
发帖数: 30882 | 8 圣经启示录
字体: 小 中 大 | 打印 发表于: 2008-2-01 03:02 作者: 牟尼客 来源: 灵博
圣经中的最后一部预言，叫做《圣经启示录》（Book of Revelations）。在所有预言
里，圣经启示录可能是对于人类最后的这段时期讲得最准确、最详细的。其实，整个基
督教差不多都是靠先知们预言的不断应验和对神迹的见证来发展的。我们都知道的“世
界末日”和所谓“最后的审判”的说法，其实最终也都是从圣经中来的。《圣经启示录
》所描绘的是一场规模巨大、代价沉重、无比惨烈、而又波澜壮阔的正邪较量和人类劫
难。因为时间的关系，我这里只能概括的描述一下。
《启示录》描述了一场由一个被称做“羔羊”（也就是小羊羔的那个羔羊）的人和他的
信众与被称作“兽”（也就是野兽的兽）的势力之间所发生的激烈较量。“羔羊”的一
方明显是代表正义和神的旨意的。“兽”的一方被指做是亵渎神的名号的邪恶势力。这
邪恶的一方其实是由一只“大赤龙”为首的。《启示录》上说，这条赤龙“就是那古蛇
、名叫魔鬼、又叫撒旦”，但他却统治着世界很大的部分，“迷惑了普天下的”人。这
邪恶的一方还有一只“从海中上来”的“兽”，头上戴着亵渎神的名号。而这条赤龙一
度将自己的所有能力和权势都交给了这个“兽”。
那么地上的人们又是如何对待这“兽”的一方呢？我来引一段圣经上的原文：“全
地的人都希奇跟从那兽、也拜那龙”、“也拜兽说谁能比这兽，谁能与他交战呢？”那
么这个兽，在掌握了赤龙所给与的权力后，对于羔羊及其徒众进行了一场残酷的迫害，
圣经上说它任意而行，对神、神的名誉和住在天上的进行了大规模的亵渎，与羔羊的信
徒（《启示录》中也把他们叫做圣徒）争战，而且，从表面上，一度是得胜的。另一件
非常有趣的事是，恶“兽”所统治的地方被叫做“巴比伦大城”，这“巴比伦大城”非
常辉煌，拥有众多的财富，和多得数不胜数的商品，使得世界上的各个国家和所有的客
商都无法抵御它的诱惑，明知道它是邪恶的、污秽的（圣经里也把它叫作“大淫妇”）
，也要和他做生意，从他那里买各种各样的商品。
而这座“巴比伦大城”，这里再引用圣经中的原话：“成了鬼魔的住处和各种污秽指令
的巢穴，并各样污秽可憎之雀鸟的巢穴”，“因为列国都被它邪淫大怒的酒倾倒了，地
上的君王与它行淫，地上的客商因他奢华太过就发了财”。这个大淫妇又“喝醉了圣徒
的血”。然而，最终毕竟是邪不胜正，《启示录》中明确地指出“他们与羔羊争战，羔
羊必胜过他们，因为羔羊是万主之主、万王之王”，“他的名称为神之道”。
当然，由于许多人都受到了“兽”的迷惑，助纣为虐，犯下了大罪，所以人类会经历巨
大的灾难，《启示录》中提到了包括规模空前的火灾、地震、冰雹、烟雾和硫磺（可能
指火山爆发？）、蝗虫、瘟疫、异常的高温与战争，水变质害死人，海中生物的大量死
亡等等等等。本来这些灾难是惩戒人们不可作恶，要人们马上悔改其罪恶的，但《启示
录》中也预见到了：许多人还是不但不悔改，反而因为自己受到的灾难与痛苦而更加怨
恨和亵渎神灵。
当然，最终羔羊和圣徒们战胜了邪灵怪兽，而那曾经辉煌一时的“巴比伦大城”在一日
之内就崩溃了，各种灾难同时而致。而这时曾与它“行淫”的各国君王和做生意的客商
们都在一旁目瞪口呆，惊叹如此的辉煌竟会在一日之内化为乌有。之后是所有的罪人都
会经历“最后的审判”而受到彻底毁灭性的惩罚。而后，人类会进入一个新天新地、空
前美好的太平盛世。《启示录》很长，讲得也很玄，完全是神话故事。 | a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 9 图腾不是文化的一部分？
龙图腾是封建文化的一部分
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: 图腾是图腾，文化是文化啊，不冲突啊
| w*********g
发帖数: 30882 | | | | b****l
发帖数: 23606 | 11 怎么没有啊
龙这个东西, 在中国文化里面算不上图腾那么高
但也是一早就有的.
尚书, 易经里面都有讲龙.
【在 a*******d 的大作中提到】
: hehe
: 中国有文化， 关龙多大的事
: 佛道儒，都跟龙无关
| s********n
发帖数: 26222 | 12 nmd,这到底是宗教还是邪教啊，我还真分不出来
博
【在 w*********g 的大作中提到】
: 圣经启示录
: 字体: 小 中 大 | 打印 发表于: 2008-2-01 03:02 作者: 牟尼客 来源: 灵博
: 圣经中的最后一部预言，叫做《圣经启示录》（Book of Revelations）。在所有预言
: 里，圣经启示录可能是对于人类最后的这段时期讲得最准确、最详细的。其实，整个基
: 督教差不多都是靠先知们预言的不断应验和对神迹的见证来发展的。我们都知道的“世
: 界末日”和所谓“最后的审判”的说法，其实最终也都是从圣经中来的。《圣经启示录
: 》所描绘的是一场规模巨大、代价沉重、无比惨烈、而又波澜壮阔的正邪较量和人类劫
: 难。因为时间的关系，我这里只能概括的描述一下。
: 《启示录》描述了一场由一个被称做“羔羊”（也就是小羊羔的那个羔羊）的人和他的
: 信众与被称作“兽”（也就是野兽的兽）的势力之间所发生的激烈较量。“羔羊”的一
| w*********g
发帖数: 30882 | 13
Rev. 12:1-5
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being
with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another
sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven
heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third
of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood
before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as
it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and his throne.
12:1-2
What awesome visages greeted John’s eyes in this new vision! First, a
resplendent and pregnant woman, in the throes of childbirth, appeared before
him. Then, ominously, a terrible many-headed red dragon also appeared and
murderously positioned itself before the woman to devour her Child as soon
as it was born. The repeated word sign here informs us that these are
symbolic representations. Careful analysis will make their significance
clear. Let's look at them.
…The woman. There is something vaguely familiar about her. Oh yes, some
of the same elements in her makeup are also found in Joseph’s dream in
Genesis 37:9-10. There, we read,
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said,
’Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and
the eleven stars bowed down to me.’ So he told it to his father and his
brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ’What is this dream
that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come
to bow down to the earth before you?’
The woman was clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her
head a garland of twelve stars. These are the same three elements Joseph
saw in his dream. He saw the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowing down
before him. It was clear to Joseph's family that the sun represented Jacob,
the moon represented their mother, Rachel, and the eleven stars, Joseph’s
eleven brothers. They were all greatly incensed by Joseph’s dream. Later,
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and his sons become the twelve tribes of
Israel. The Apostle Paul, speaking about the descendants of Israel, says in
Romans 9:35:
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my
countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the
adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of
God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to
the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
The woman sign that John saw is clearly symbolic of the nation of Israel
from whom, Paul says, Christ came.
12:3-4
…The dragon. What a fearsome and murderous specter the fiery red dragon
with seven heads and ten horns presented to John’s eyes. As he watched,
its gigantic tail thrashed across the skies and drew a third of the stars of
Heaven and threw them to the earth. Then, the awful thing halted menacingly
before the woman. Its evil intent was obvious. It was awaiting the birth of
the woman's child in order to gobble it up as soon as it was born! This
sign of the dragon represents Satan. Verse nine identifies him as such, by
name. Let’s consider some of the elements of his symbol and see if we can
discern what they may allude to.
a. He is red. I believe this speaks of his bloody and murderous
nature. Our Lord says of him in John 8:44b,
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his
own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
b. He has seven heads. Like many other monsters in ancient mythology, this
probably speaks of Satan’s perceived indestructibility. It would be a
formidable task to kill a seven-headed monster such as this.
c. He has ten horns. His ten horns speak of his perceived power. I say
perceived because, although he is very powerful indeed, his power is not as
great as he thinks. As we have noted before, horns are often used as a
symbol of power in the Scripture. The Lamb, back in chapter 5, had seven
horns, a symbol for total or complete power. Satan's symbol here, having ten
horns, is an indication that he views himself as stronger than the Lamb.
d. He dragged a third of the stars of heaven down to Earth with his tail.
As previously noted, stars are sometimes used as symbols for angels in the
Bible. I believe that to be the case here. We know from the Scripture that
Lucifer was not the only angel that fell (First Peter 3:18-20). The stars,
which the dragon flung down to the earth, refer to the angels who Satan
caused to fall along with him. We refer to them as demons today. And, by the
way, a third of the angels of Heaven is no small number, for God's angels
are said to be innumerable (Hebrews 12:22).
He positioned himself before the woman to gobble up the male child as soon
as it was born. This is an obvious allusion to Satan’s attempt in history
to kill the baby Jesus. An account of it is found in Matthew 2:16:
Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was
exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children
who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under
, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
No mistake about it, Satan was the one behind King Herod in that awful
incident.
May we step aside again here for a minute? Satan has been trying to stop
Christ from coming into our world ever since the Garden of Eden. After the
fall, the Lord said to Satan,
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and
her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Genesis
3:15
Christ is the promised Seed that the Lord was referring to there. I take it
that Satan’s seed refers to his demons as well as to all unregenerate human
beings that are currently under his control. People who don't know the Lord
belong to Satan, just as the fallen angels do. They are his property and
confederates and he uses them as he pleases. So, in a very real sense, they
are all Satan's seed. As Jesus put it to the Pharisees in John 8,
You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do.
John 8:44a
Paul, speaking of lost and unsaved people, said,
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are
taken captive by him at his will. Second Timothy 2:26 (KJV)
In addition, Jesus, speaking to Paul concerning lost men and women, said
that he was sending him forth with the gospel,
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Acts 26:
18 (KJV)
The Hebrew word translated bruise, in Genesis 3:15, actually means to crush.
To Satan, God's words had to have been unmistakable. Someday the Seed of
the woman will come and he will kill you. Those words from God have made
Satan sweat from the moment that God first said them to him. They clearly
predicted Satan's demise under the heel of the coming Seed of the woman. No
one can rightly understand biblical or even secular history until they
understand how its events are related to Satan’s attempts to stop the
promised Seed from coming into the world. Shortly after this prophecy was
spoken, Satan moved Cain to kill Abel in order to stop the Seed, but God
raised Seth up. In the days of the great Flood, I believe it was Satan who
moved all of mankind to become so wicked that God would have to destroy them
and thereby nullify the coming of the Seed of the woman, but God raised
Noah up. When Abraham arrived upon the scene, God made a covenant with him
saying, in your seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed (Genesis
22:18). From that time on, the Seed became embodied in a specific line
within a people, the descendants of Abraham. So, Satan began to attack that
line. It was Satan who moved Esau to say, I will slay my brother Jacob (
Genesis 27:41) through whom the Seed was to come, but God sent Jacob away to
Laban’s house.
In the days of the kings of Israel, God further defined the Seed’s coming
when he pronounced it would come from the royal line, the seed of David (
Second Samuel 7:12). The history of the aftermath of this new refining of
the Seed can be read in First and Second Kings and First and Second
Chronicles, as well as several other places in the Old Testament. These
books are replete with accounts of Satan’s onslaughts on the royal line.
Take for example, the account of wicked Queen Atheliah in Second Kings 11.
When her son, king Ahaziah, died, she seized the throne and immediately set
about to exterminate all of the royal seed so that she alone would sit on
the throne of Israel. She almost made a complete job of it too, having
murdered, she thought, all of her grandchildren. But God had seen to it that
she missed one. While Atheliah was busy killing all the royal seed,
Jehoshiba whisked away little baby Joash and his nurse and brought them to
Jehoiada, the priest, for protection in the temple. For six years, God’s
whole purpose in the promised Seed rested in the life of that one little boy
. Then, when Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada set him on the throne, as
the boy-king of Israel, and had wicked, Satan instigated Atheliah put to the
sword. Once again, the promised Seed was secured and preserved. Finally …
Satan not being able to stop it … the Seed of the woman arrived on Earth.
As you have it in Galatians 4:4:
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of
a woman, born under the law…
Satan was then faced with the Seed Himself. He had come. Immediately, he
moved Herod to destroy the child, but the plan failed. Being warned in a
dream, Joseph fled with the infant into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-14). All through
Christ's life on Earth, Satan continued to plot to kill him. Finally, by
means of Jewish and Roman leaders, the Seed was nailed to a Roman cross.
Satan’s laughter must have echoed throughout the universe! At long last, he
thought, he had succeeded in destroying the promised Seed! He had killed
the one who God had said would kill him and the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 had
been nullified. What Satan didn’t know, however, was that it was in the
sovereign plan of God that his Son died on the cross. Jesus had come
specifically to lay down his life as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole
world (First John 2:2). Then, after having satisfied God’s righteous
demands, the Seed arose from the dead.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. Romans 8:33
What a shock it must have been when Satan realized that he had not only lost
again but now, he had been set up to lose scores of his slaves as well! As
you have it in Hebrews 2:14-15:
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had
the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear
of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Ha ha! Because of our Savior’s death on the cross, we are free! By faith in
Christ, Satan is no longer our master and death, which brought so much fear
to us all, has lost its sting. Nevertheless, ever since that wonderful
resurrection morning, Satan still pursues his dogged opposition to the Seed.
Now, however, he concentrates on anything and anyone who has anything to do
with Christ as he stalks the Earth seeking whom he may devour (First Peter
5:8b). Today, Satan continues to scratch and claw for every advantage to
thwart the Seed’s people and Christ’s purposes … and especially his
coming to Earth again one day. But, Satan is a loser and an already defeated
foe. He lost in Eden and he has lost over and over again down through
history in his opposition to God’s Seed. He lost big time at the cross and
he is losing today. Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. Inexorably, Jesus Christ is now
systematically ransacking Satan's kingdom, calling out of it … a people for
his name's sake.
We are given this history lesson here in Revelation 12 to remind us of the
great struggle that has gone on and continues to go on right now around the
Seed of the woman. The struggle will greatly intensify during the dark days
of the Great Tribulation. At that time, Satan will pull out all the stops to
attempt to hold on to what is his and to oppose the Seed. He will seek to
exterminate anyone and everyone who has anything to do with Christ and,
ultimately, will make war with the Lamb Himself at his Second Coming. But,
as the saying goes, The bigger they are, the harder they fall!
12:5
…The male Child. John says, She bore a male child … who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron. This universal rule with a rod of iron is an
unmistakable allusion to the prophecy of the Son in Psalm 2:7-9:
I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to me, 'you are my Son, today I
have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your
inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break
them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's
vessel.'
Clearly, the male Child represents Christ. As John continued to watch the
awesome drama unfold, the male Child was indeed born but, before the dragon
could gobble him up, he was caught up unto God and to his throne. This is an
obvious reference to Christ's ascension and exaltation to the right hand of
God. As you have it in Acts 1:9:
…And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up;
and a cloud received him out of their sight. (KJV)
And, in Hebrews 1:3, we read,
…and when he had by himself purged us from our sins, he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty on High…
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Rev. 12:6
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by
God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days
[three and a half years].
Antichrist breaks his treaty with the Jews, and seizes their temple at the
middle of the Tribulation, Jesus forewarned his covenant people to
immediately flee out of Jerusalem to the mountains.
Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel
the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand),
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… Matthew 24:15-16
When this event actually occurs in time, our text says that those who obey
Christ's words to flee will ultimately arrive at a place prepared by God. We
read here, Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place
prepared by God. God will make a place of refuge in the wilderness for his
covenant people who obey him and make it out of Jerusalem on that awful day
when Antichrist breaks his treaty and seizes their temple and, then …
systematically begins to attempt to destroy them all. How will God protect
them there? Let me assure you, he will have no problem on that score. Do you
remember how Jesus escaped from the mob at Nazareth? They were hell-bent on
throwing him off a cliff (another instance, by the way, of Satan's attempt
to destroy the Seed). But, Jesus simply walked right through them, did he
not (Luke 4:28-30)? With God, such things are a piece of cake.
Our passage goes on to read, that they should feed her there one thousand
two hundred and sixty days (three and a half years). Who do you suppose they
are who will be doing the feeding at that time? Also, what do you suppose
… they … will feed those Jews for three and a half years? Would it
surprise you to learn that these Jews will be fed with manna? That is the
implication here. I believe this word, they, refers to angels who will daily
feed these Jews, just as their ancient counterparts were fed out there in
that same wilderness in Moses' day. Someday, the Jewish people will dine
once again on angel’s food (Psalm 78:25).
One more thing here … do you remember from our discussion that we talked
about the fact that the Jews of the Tribulation would be saved by direct
confrontation, like the Apostle Paul was saved before them? Although that
will be the method of most of the Jews salvation during the Tribulation, no
doubt they will not all get saved at the same time or at the same place. I
believe that many will be saved through the confrontation of the sixth Seal.
I put the 144,000 in that group. However, these who flee from Satan here in
Revelation 12 are yet another group of Jews. They are Judean Jews who will
have been living in and around Jerusalem and worshipping at their rebuilt
temple there. They too will have just experienced the trauma of the sixth
Seal, but to compound that awful experience, as soon as the skies have been
zipped up again, they will find an invading Antichrist on their doorstep,
who will seize Jerusalem and their temple! Those Jews who are wise will
immediately flee out of there for their lives. They will have been
prospering under Antichrist’s protection and blessing. Under his treaty of
protection, for three and a half years they will have had peace … but, on
that day, they will experience his treachery as prophesied in Daniel 7, and
warned against by Jesus in Matthew 25. Those who flee to the mountains, as
Jesus instructed, will ultimately arrive at the place of refuge. But, upon
their arrival, boy will they be in for a shock. The Lord Jesus Christ
himself, their God and their Messiah, will be awaiting them there! And, then
and there, at the place of refuge … he himself will save them by direct
confrontation! As you have it in Ezekiel 20:35-38:
’And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will
plead my case with you face to face. Just as I pleaded My case with your
fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead my case with
you,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘I will make you pass under the rod, and I will
bring you into the bond of the covenant; [I take this to refer to the New
Covenant] I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress
against me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they
shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’
What an amazing prophecy, aye? Wouldn’t you like to be a fly on the wall
when that confrontation takes place?
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Rev. 12:7-12
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon;
and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a
place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out,
that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole
world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ have come, for the
accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has
been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you,
having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
12:7-9
As I have said previously, I am persuaded that the events in Revelation are
given to us in the exact chronological order in which they will actually
occur in history. This passage adds further weight to that hypothesis
because, right here in the middle of the story of these fleeing Judean Jews,
it's as if the phone rings and we readers are suddenly summoned back up to
Heaven. Why? Because, at that same exact point in time, something extremely
significant will also be happening up there. A parallel crisis will have
begun in Heaven. As God’s people, the Jews, are fleeing for their lives
down below, God Almighty is going to make his own move on Satan up above …
to cast him permanently out of Heaven. Again, may I say to you, my how God
loves his covenant people. Because of their awful plight at, Satan backed,
Antichrist's hands down on Earth, God will retaliate tit for tat against
Satan in Heaven above.
Now, it is important to understand here, that Satan and his demons presently
have access to Heaven. We read in our passage that, up there, they
constantly accuse the brethren before our God day and night. Right this very
moment, up in Heaven, Satan and his demons are hard at work tattling on the
people of God and laying out endless accusations against them. Did you know
that your name is being brought up before God in Heaven by demons, dear
saint? Our sins, our defeats, our weaknesses, our falters and our failures (
and who knows what else) are constantly being presented before God by Satan'
s crowd. Don’t think he doesn’t watch us. But thanks be to God, we have an
Advocate, Jesus the Righteous One, who stands up for us! As you have it in
First John 2:1:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous.
And again, in Hebrews 7:25-26,
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For such a
High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens…
Satan has access to Heaven today, just as he has had throughout history. Job
’s story is more than ample proof of that fact. We learn here from Rev.12:9
-10, however, that there is a day coming when our God will no longer
tolerate his presence there nor his scurrilous accusations any more. There
will come a day when he and his are going to be tossed bodily out of Heaven.
Our text says this will precipitate war in Heaven. When the Judean Jews are
fleeing Satan’s man on Earth, Satan will suddenly find himself in hand to
hand combat in Heaven above with God’s archangel, Michael. Can you imagine
such a thing?
I picture it unfolding something like this. God, having observed his people
fleeing from Antichrist down on Earth, suddenly says to Michael, Throw Satan
out. Satan says, What! God says, Michael, throw him out, and all of his
demons with him. Satan says, Michael????… you must be kidding … why, I'm
so much greater than Michael that he didn’t dare even to make an accusation
against me when we disputed over Moses’ body … remember that?!! (Jude 9)
Michael will never see the day he can take me! I was above him from the
beginning. I’m Lucifer, Son of the Morning! What a scene that will be,
brothers and sisters, and you and I are going to be there to witness it, by
the way. It says here that war broke out in Heaven. Hot battle raged for
every inch of ground, but Michael (who is like God) will live up to his name
on that day. He will prove to be more of a match than Satan had bargained
for. The war continued, our text says, until no place was found for them in
Heaven any longer. Apparently, Satan and his demons will seek to retain a
foothold in every nook and cranny of Heaven, but to no avail. Their whole
sorry lot will be forcibly evicted!
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil, and
Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth and his
angels were cast out with him. Satan has always thought of himself as
greater than all the angelic beings and, incredibly, even above God himself.
It is going to be quite a shock when he discovers that he's not even
Michael's equal when, at that great Archangel's hand, he is unceremoniously
tossed out of Heaven! Isaiah called it right when he said,
How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are
cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in
your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the
farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to
the lowest depths of the Pit. Isaiah 14:12-15
12:10-12
Immediately upon Satan’s expulsion from Heaven, John heard a loud voice
saying, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power of His Christ has come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused
them before our God day and night, has been cast down. This cleansing of
Heaven will be a giant step in the establishment of Christ’s dominion over
all. At the expulsion of Satan from Heaven, Christ's train will have truly
left the station and will be continuing on its unstoppable course to victory
. A great celebration commenced. The voice continued:
… and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. Satan's accusations
could not stand in the face of Jesus’ shed blood on the behalf of his
saints. They had all been washed in the blood of the Lamb, you see.
Regardless of what anyone has to say about a true child of God, as far as
God is concerned they have all been made perfect in Christ. As you have it
in Ephesians 5:26-27:
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
(KJV)
…and by the word of their testimony. Satan's accusation could not
stand in light of the words of the saint's verbal testimonies either. Their
confession of Christ set them apart from all accusations. As you have it in
Romans 10:9-10:
…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your
heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the
heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation.
And again, in Romans 8:33-34:
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
…and they did not love their lives to the death. Nor could Satan's
accusations stand in light of the perseverance of the saints.
Then John heard a loud voice say, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and
the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he
knows that he has a short time. You can bet that, after this event has taken
place, Satan will be livid. In that regard, John’s attention was drawn
back now to Earth where the Judean Jews were still fleeing for their lives.
Down there, Satan, filled with wrath from being tossed out of Heaven, had
just arrived. That will not bode well for the Jewish people.
____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Rev. 12:13-17
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted
the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two
wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place,
where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, [Hebrew idiom
for three and a half years] from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent
spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might
cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman,
and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon
had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and
he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus [NU omits “Christ”].
12:13-14
When Satan arrived on Earth, still licking his wounds from being expelled
from Heaven, our text says he came down with great anger toward Israel. We
read, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted
the woman who gave birth to the male Child. At that time, Satan will throw
his full weight behind Antichrist's forces as they pursue the Judean Jews
who are fleeing out of Jerusalem. But, the woman was given two wings of a
great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she
is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the
serpent. Exactly what is meant here, when it says these Jews were given the
wings of a great eagle is doubtless referring to the supernatural assistance
of their great God. Isaiah 40:31 comes to mind, does it not?
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint.
Although this passage from Isaiah is speaking figuratively, it has, in fact,
been fulfilled literally on several occasions. For example, when Elijah
tirelessly out-ran Ahab's galloping chariot all the way from Mount Carmel to
Jezreel, a distance of around thirty miles (First Kings18:46). And again,
we saw it in the life of Sampson (Judges 14-16) as well. Apparently, there
will be a similar literal fulfillment of Isaiah 40:31, when God helps Israel
flee from Antichrist in that future day. The implication here is that they
will be given supernatural agility and strength in that day. They will
receive two wings of a great eagle … an illusion, I believe, to their great
God and the power he will give them to escape. Truly, as you have it in
Romans 8:31b:
If God be for us, who can be against?
12:15-16
In a way, I envy these fleeing Jews of that future day. They are in for an
incredible experience of deliverance by the great, omnipotent, delivering
hand of their God. And, it will come about in the same manner that Moses and
the ancient Israelites, who fled before Pharaoh before them, experienced.
For, just as it was with those ancient counterparts, once again there will
be a pursuing enemy behind (Antichrist and his armies) and a seemingly
insurmountable water obstacle before them (the flooding Jordan River) which
will appear to seal their doom. As the Red Sea blocked ancient Israel’s way
to safety, during the Exodus, a supernatural flood from Satan will confront
the fleeing Judean Jews of the Great Tribulation. I believe that Daniel 9:
26 also speaks of this flood:
And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself;
and the people of the prince who is to come [Antichrist] shall destroy the
city and the sanctuary. The end of it [the entire event of Antichrist's
sudden seizing of the Jews temple and subsequent pursuit of the fleeing Jews
] shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war [at Armageddon]
desolations are determined.
God’s people will have to cross the Jordan River to reach the place of
safety in the wilderness beyond. Satan, knowing this, will supernaturally
cause a tremendous flood at the river to stop them and to hold them there so
that Antichrist's armies can destroy them on its banks. Most likely, he
will cause a torrential rain in the terrain above where they will be
attempting to cross. I suspect that it will be like no other flood that the
Jordan basin has ever experienced. We can only imagine how terrifying that
will be to those who are fleeing for their lives from Antichrist's soldiers.
But God, (I love that phrase, don't you?) … but God … the same God who
divided the Red Sea of old and delivered his people from Pharaoh, will
intervene once again. Our text says, But the earth helped the woman, and the
earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood. An earthquake … the
earth cracked open … and Satan’s flood went cascading down into the bowels
of the earth as God's people, once again, crossed over an impassable water
barrier on dry ground! Wouldn’t you love to be there to see it!? At that
time, that great promise of Isaiah 43:13a will be literally fulfilled:
But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you
, O Israel: ’Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your
name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through
the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am
the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…’
And also, the prophecy of Psalm 124 will likewise be literally fulfilled on
that day:
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, Let Israel now say; 'If it
had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then
they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us
; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over
our soul; Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be
the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped
as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have
escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.’
Isn't God and his Word amazing!?
12:17
Once again, Satan will be forced to turn away in defeat. But, as he goes, he
will be vowing bloody war on the rest of the people of God. Our text says
he will go to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. After these
humiliating defeats, Satan will turn away in rage and go after the remainder
of the Jews who know Christ, which includes the 144,000. This, I believe,
will begin the days of the systematic slaughter of the people of God on
Earth. Thus, the chapter ends.
We have been given a great deal of important information here. Our Lord has
given us a panoramic view of his purpose for the Jew from the time when he,
himself, came into our world through them … and then all the way down to
their future flight out of Jerusalem during the opening days of the Great
Tribulation. We have read about two key players in the coming Great
Tribulation: Satan and the Jews. We have learned about two key events: the
fleeing of the Jews from Antichrist and the expulsion of Satan from Heaven.
These characters and events, rightly understood, add greatly to our
understanding of the Great Tribulation. This chapter also adds further
weight to the proposition that the entire Tribulation period is primarily
about God's program for his covenant people, the Jews. It is designed to
refine and purify them and set the stage for their God and Savior to deliver
them once and for all for his name's sake.
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: nmd,这到底是宗教还是邪教啊，我还真分不出来
:
: 博
| a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 14 你考察一下， 圣经的启示录这部分是几百年前出版的
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: nmd,这到底是宗教还是邪教啊，我还真分不出来
:
: 博
| w*********g
发帖数: 30882 | 15 西方怕错了对象，巴比伦大城一听就不是中国的地方。而且中国的龙的形象从来都没有
过多头的时候，中国的龙也从来不戴什么桂冠。 | a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 16 赫赫， 启示录的解释还没破译，急着辩驳啥
这里面的所有人，物都是意象， 整个是一个预言性的寓言故事
【在 w*********g 的大作中提到】
: 西方怕错了对象，巴比伦大城一听就不是中国的地方。而且中国的龙的形象从来都没有
: 过多头的时候，中国的龙也从来不戴什么桂冠。
| b****l
发帖数: 23606 | 17 jb的启示录
跟轮子那些意想的天空神啊鬼啊打来打去的有啥区别啊.
没有
【在 a*******d 的大作中提到】
: 赫赫， 启示录的解释还没破译，急着辩驳啥
: 这里面的所有人，物都是意象， 整个是一个预言性的寓言故事
| a*******d
发帖数: 7538 | 18 佛教也有很多故事，步步莲花， 舍利子。
【在 b****l 的大作中提到】
: jb的启示录
: 跟轮子那些意想的天空神啊鬼啊打来打去的有啥区别啊.
:
: 没有
| w*******r
发帖数: 2792 | 19 东方的龙和西方的龙是各自独立发展出来的两个概念，两者之间没有关系，也不等同。
但是在中西方相互接触之后，西方觉得中国的龙就是他们认为的dragon。 | s********n
发帖数: 26222 | 20 中国龙没必要顺从西方的恐龙思维啊
【在 w*******r 的大作中提到】
: 东方的龙和西方的龙是各自独立发展出来的两个概念，两者之间没有关系，也不等同。
: 但是在中西方相互接触之后，西方觉得中国的龙就是他们认为的dragon。
| w*******r
发帖数: 2792 | 21 本来就没有顺从。其实问题在于没有权威跳出来指出两者其实毫无关系并改变这种翻译
习惯。但是历史上这么翻译了，就一直延续下来了，反正多数人本来就不信龙的存在，
也不信dragon的存在，多数严肃的学者根本就不想碰这个话题。
【在 s********n 的大作中提到】
: 中国龙没必要顺从西方的恐龙思维啊
|
|
