Manna issue 80 - While the Earth Remains 地還存留的時候
God’s salvation plan viewed
through the four seasons.
從四季來看神救贖的計劃
Philip Shee—Jakarta, Indonesia
印尼雅加達 許腓利執事
“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.” (Gen 8:22)
22地還存留的時候，稼穡、寒暑、冬夏、晝夜就永不停息了。
(創 8：22)
This was part of God’s promise after
the flood, when Noah built an altar to
the LORD and offered burnt offerings.
Afterwards, God blessed Noah and his
sons, and once again gave them this
instruction: “Be fruitful and multiply,
and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1b). With
this new blessing, Noah, his family,
and all the animals that disembarked
from the ark began a new life with the
assurance that God would continue
His providence and would sustain the
earth.
洪水之後，這是一些神的應許，
而諾亞築了祭壇，獻燔祭。
之後，神祝福諾亞和他的兒子，
並且再一次給他們命令：
1你們要生養眾多，遍滿了地。
(創 9：1b)
因著這新的祝福，
諾亞，他的家庭，一切的動物，從方舟上岸，
帶著神的應許開始新生活，
因為神必預備，供養整個地球。
As the Psalmist reflects, “[All
creation waits] for You, that You
may give them food in due season”
(Ps 104:27). This testifies of God’s
providence throughout history, how
He appoints the seasons at their due
time. These seasonal changes are
significant as they govern the planting
and harvest of crops. But more
importantly, as Noah’s household
marked the beginning of a new era
of life on earth, God’s declaration that
the seasons would run their course
also carried a spiritual significance. It
revealed that, in His time, God would
unfold His plan for humankind.
當詩篇作者反思的時候，
27這都仰望你按時給他食物。
(詩 104：27)
這節為神在整個歷史中，神的預備作証，
祂在其相對合適的時間裡，設立了相對的季節。
這些季節改變是重要的，
因為他們控制了穀物裁種和收獲的時節。
而且更重要的是，因為諾亞一家代表了地球上生命的新世紀，
神就宣佈，四季會依照其軌跡運行，
其中也伴隨著屬靈的重要性。
它告訴我們，在神的時間表下，
祂會為了人類展開計劃。
God’s use of the seasons as
milestones in His plan is echoed
elsewhere in the Bible. As Solomon
pondered about life, he wrote: “To
everything there is a season, a time
for every purpose under heaven”
(Eccl 3:1). When the disciples asked
if Jesus would restore the kingdom
to Israel after His resurrection, He
responded, “It is not for you to know
times or seasons which the Father has
put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7).
When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians
concerning the second coming of
Christ, he also referred to “the times
and seasons” (1 Thess 5:1–2). As we
encounter each season unfolding, we
will surely benefit if we reflect upon
their spiritual significance and respond
to the plan of God embedded within.
神用季節來比喻祂計劃里程碑，來呼應聖經裡面各個部份。
當所羅門思考生命的時候，他寫下：
1凡事都有定期，天下萬務都有定時。
(傳 3：1)
而門徒問耶穌，在祂復活之後，是不是會給以色列的國度恢復起來。
耶穌回答：
7父憑著自己的權柄所定的時候、日期，不是你們可以知道的。
(徒 1：7)
當保羅寫信給帖撒羅尼加教會，講到有關基督再臨的時候，
1論到時候、日期，
(帖前 5：1-2)
隨著我們看到每一季逐漸展開來，
若我們想想其中的屬靈重要性，
並且加以回應神隱藏在四季的計劃，
我們就會受益。
SUMMER 夏天
Thus the Lord GOD showed me:
Behold, a basket of summer fruit…
Then the LORD said to me:
“The end has come upon My people
Israel.” (Amos 8:1–2a)
8主耶和華又指示我一件事：我看見一筐夏天的果子。
2耶和華說：我民以色列的結局到了。
(摩 8：1-2a)
This prophecy of impending
judgment was God’s response to the
declining faith and conduct of the
Israelites. Despite God repeatedly
withholding judgment, on account
of Amos’ intercession (Amos 7:1–6),
the Israelites did not repent. They
continued to oppress and to cheat the
poor, to worship insincerely, putting
their trade before their religious
obligations, and to even worship and
rely on pagan gods (Amos 8:4–6,
14). God used the vision of a basket
of summer fruit to signify that the
kingdom would fall imminently, and
their sins be judged. The time of
grace, when He had overlooked their
sins, was over, and He “[would] not
pass by them anymore” (Amos 7:8,
8:2). This prophecy, highlighting a
period of grace before the swift arrival
of judgment, is in line with Peter’s
prophecy of the end time:
這個即將發生審判的預言，
是神對以色列人信心衰退，行為墮落的回應。
雖然神因為阿摩司先知的代禱，一再重覆忍住了審判，(摩 7：1-6)
但以色列人並不悔改。
他們一直在壓搾窮人，欺騙他們，
崇拜一點也不誠心，比宗教上的要求更看重生意，
甚至去依靠及崇拜外邦的神祇。
(摩 8：4-6，14)
神用一籃夏天水果的異象，來表示這個國家很快會倒下，
他們所犯的罪會被審判。
恩典的時代，就是神會忽略他們罪的時間，已經結束了，
神說：
8我必不再寬恕他們。
(摩 7：8，8：2)
這段預言強調了在審判快速來臨之前，會有一段恩典的時期，
並彼得在末後的預言，相符合：
The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come
as a thief in the night, in which the
heavens will pass away with a great
noise, and the elements will melt
with fervent heat; both the earth
and the works that are in it will be
burned up.
(2 Pet 3:9–10)
9主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，
乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。
10但主的日子要像賊來到一樣。那日，天必大有響聲廢去，
有形質的都要被烈火銷化，地和其上的物都要燒盡了。
(彼後 3：9-10)
When telling His disciples about
the signs of the end time, the Lord
Jesus Himself also used the onset of
summer as an analogy to warn us:
當耶穌告訴門徒有關末日的徵兆時，
主耶穌自已也用夏天的開始，作為比喻來警告我們：
“But take heed; see, I have told you
all things beforehand… Then they
will see the Son of Man coming in
the clouds with great power and
glory… Now learn this parable from
the fig tree: When its branch has
already become tender, and puts
forth leaves, you know that summer
is near. So you also, when you see
these things happening, know that it
is near—at the doors!”
(Mk 13:23–29)
23你們要謹慎。看哪，凡事我都預先告訴你們了。...
26那時，他們（馬太二十四章三十節是地上的萬族）要看見人子有大能力、大榮耀，駕雲降臨。...
28你們可以從無花果樹學個比方：當樹枝發嫩長葉的時候，你們就知道夏天近了。
29這樣，你們幾時看見這些事成就，也該知道人子（人子：或作神的國）近了，正在門口了。
(可 13：23-29)
As summer draws near, with
its scorching heat a taste of the
tribulation and subsequent judgment
that will occur in the end time, it is
also a time to reflect on the grace
and salvation of God. Such grace was
displayed in the pillar of cloud, which
shaded the Israelites from the heat of
the sun while they journeyed in the
wilderness (Num 14:14). Moreover,
since we have been forewarned about
the end of time, summer also serves to
remind us to “[w]atch therefore, and
pray always that you may be counted
worthy to escape all these things
that will come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of Man” (Lk 21:36);
to be people of “holy conduct and
godliness, looking for and hastening
the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet
3:11b–12a). And having triumphed
over sin and tribulation in the end time,
we “shall neither hunger anymore nor
thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike
[us], nor any heat” (Rev 7:16).1
因著夏天來臨，
末日的時候，夏天的灼熱就像接著會有一陣苦難，其後並且有審判，
這也是可以反思神恩典和救贖的時間。
這種恩典也以雲柱的形式表現，
當以色列人在曠野行走的時候，
雲柱會替他們擋住太陽的灼熱。
(民 14：14)
不僅如此，因為我們已經有事先被警告有關末後的事，
夏天也是用來提醒我們的，
在末後的日子，夏天也作為一種提醒我們的訊號，
36你們要時時儆醒，常常祈求，使你們能逃避這一切要來的事，得以站立在人子面前。
(路 21：36)
成為
11怎樣聖潔，怎樣敬虔，
12切切仰望神的日子來到。
(彼後 3：11b-12a)
可以在末後，勝過罪惡和苦難，
我們
16不再飢，不再渴；日頭和炎熱也必不傷害他們。
(啟 7：16)1
AUTUMN 秋天
For as the rain comes down, and the
snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater. (Isa 55:10)
10雨雪從天而降，並不返回，卻滋潤地土，使地上發芽結實，使撒種的有種，使要吃的有糧。
(賽 55：10)
Autumn is the beginning of the
rainy season in Israel, and is also
known as the early or former rain. The
early rain softens the parched ground
after the dryness of summer. This is
the time for sowing, which determines
how much food will be produced for
the rest of the year. God’s wrath is
often manifested in the withholding
of rain, just as Moses warned the
people: “Take heed to yourselves,
lest your heart be deceived, and you
turn aside and serve other gods and
worship them, lest the LORD’s anger
be aroused against you, and He shut
up the heavens so that there be no
rain, and the land yield no produce”
(Deut 11:16–17a).
在以色列，秋天是雨季的開始，也被稱為早雨。
在夏天的乾旱之後，早雨可以軟化烤焦的土地。
這時是撒種的時間，也是這時決定了本年的其他時間裡，會出產多少食物。
神的憤怒時常是以停止降雨的方式來表現，
就如同摩西警告百姓：
16你們要謹慎，免得心中受迷惑，就偏離正路，去事奉敬拜別神。
17耶和華的怒氣向你們發作，就使天閉塞不下雨，地也不出產。
(申 11：16-17a)
Conversely, God’s grace is
manifested in the giving of rain in
due season, which not only allows the
crops to grow, but also the growth of
vegetation on which cattle graze. This
is as Isaiah proclaimed, “Then He will
give the rain for your seed with which
you sow the ground, and bread of the
increase of the earth; it will be fat and
plentiful. In that day your cattle will
feed in large pastures” (Isa 30:23).
相反地，神的恩典是以在季節來到之時，賜下雨水來澆灌，
這不僅可讓作物生長，也會生長各種植物青草，讓家畜得食。
這就像以賽亞先知所宣告的，
23你將種子撒在地裡，主必降雨在其上，
並使地所出的糧肥美豐盛。到那時，你的牲畜必在寬闊的草場吃草。
(賽 30：23)
The spiritual significance of autumn
lies in God sowing the seeds of His
salvation plan, embedding the plan
in His messages, starting in the Old
Testament, with prophecies and
prefigurations of Christ and the
church. This was when God laid
the foundations of the faith. These
messages were then fulfilled as time
unfolded into the era of the New
Testament and even into this modern
age. Just as prophet Hosea recorded:
“Let us know, let us pursue the
knowledge of the LORD. His going
forth is established as the morning; He
will come to us like the rain, like the
latter and former rain to the earth”
(Hos 6:3).
秋天屬靈的重要性，在於神種下祂救贖的計劃，
在祂所傳下的訊息中，帶著祂的計劃，
在舊約裡，就用基督和教會的預言和比諭來表示。
這就是那時，神建立信仰的根基。
然後隨著時間展開，進入了新約的時代，甚至是現代，
這些訊息就一一實現。
就如何西亞書所記載的：
3我們務要認識耶和華，竭力追求認識他。
他出現確如晨光，他必臨到我們像甘雨，像滋潤田地的春雨。
(何 6：3)
As autumn arrives, let us be
reminded of God’s plan of salvation,
which He conceived before the
foundation of the world, and let us
seek wisdom from Him to understand
it, and have the conviction to embrace
it (Eph 1:4–10).
因著秋天來臨，讓我們記得神救贖的計劃，
這是神在創世之前所架構出來的，
讓我們從祂那裡尋求智慧來了解神的計劃，
並且可以有確信來完全擁抱。
(弗 1：4-10)
Autumn should also remind us to
discover and build our faith on the
correct foundation, which is Christ,
as He Himself said: “You search the
Scriptures, for in them you think you
have eternal life; and these are they
which testify of Me” (Jn 5:39). And
Paul also wrote to the Corinthians:
“For no other foundation can anyone
lay than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11).
秋天也是提醒我們，要發掘和建立自已的信仰在正確的基礎之上。
39你們查考聖經（或作：應當查考聖經），因你們以為內中有永生；給我作見證的就是這經。
(約 5：39)
11因為那已經立好的根基就是耶穌基督，此外沒有人能立別的根基。
(林前 3：11)
Faith built on blind zeal and
passion, without a fundamental
understanding of and alignment with
God’s established truth, will not lead
us to salvation. For this reason, Paul
made the following prayer for his
fellow Israelites:
若信仰只是基於熱心和一時的熱情，
對神所完成的真理，沒有從基礎來了解，或有不符合之處，
並不會讓我們得救。
因為這個原因，
保羅為了他同胞以色列人，作了以下的禱告：
Brethren, my heart’s desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that
they may be saved. For I bear
them witness that they have a
zeal for God, but not according to
knowledge. For they being ignorant
of God’s righteousness, and seeking
to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted to the
righteousness of God. For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone who believes.
(Rom 10:1–4)
1弟兄們，我心裡所願的，向神所求的，是要以色列人得救。
2我可以證明他們向神有熱心，但不是按著真知識；
3因為不知道神的義，想要立自己的義，就不服神的義了。
4律法的總結就是基督，使凡信他的都得著義。
(羅 10：1-4)
WINTER 冬天
You have set all the borders of the
earth;
You have made summer and winter.
(Ps 74:17)
17地的一切疆界是你所立的；夏天和冬天是你所定的。
(詩 74：17)
Winter is the period of the heaviest
rain in Israel, as described in Ezra,
when the men of Judah and Benjamin
gathered in the open square of the
house of God on the twentieth of the
ninth month (Ezra 10:9). Given that
this is the wettest time of the year, it
is for good reason that Jesus tells us
to “pray that your flight may not be
in winter” (Mt 24:20). The heavy rain
in winter is needed for the crops to
grow after the seedtime in autumn.
This points to the faithfulness of God,
as He keeps His promise to “open to
you His good treasure, the heavens,
to give the rain to your land in its
season” (Deut 28:12a).
冬天是以色列雨下最大的時期，
就如以斯拉所描寫的，
9那日正是九月二十日，猶大和便雅憫眾人都坐在神殿前的寬闊處；
(拉 10：9)
由於這是每天最多雨的時節，
就是因為這個原因，耶穌才告訴我們，
20你們應當祈求，叫你們逃走的時候，不遇見冬天。
(太 24：20)
冬天的大雨，對秋天播種之後，作物的生長是必要的。
這點就指向了神的信實，
因為神遵守祂的應許，
12耶和華必為你開天上的府庫，按時降雨在你的地上。
(申 28：12a)
In the spiritual context, while the dry
summer represents God’s judgment as
a consequence of sin, a wet winter, in
contrast, represents the faithfulness
of God in executing His plan: “In that
day [when the Messiah is pierced
(Zech 12:10)] a fountain shall be
opened for the house of David and
for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for
sin and for uncleanness” (Zech 13:1);
and “in that day it shall be that living
waters shall flow from Jerusalem …
in both summer and winter it shall
occur” (Zech 14:8). When the people
humble themselves, pray, and turn
from their wicked ways, God will hear
from heaven, forgive their sins and
heal their land (2 Chr 7:14).
若以屬靈的意含來看，
雖然乾旱的夏季代表隨著犯罪而來，神的審判，
而多雨的冬天，相反的，成為了神執行祂大計劃之時，
神一直很信實：
1那日[當彌賽亞為他們所扎(亞 12：10)]，
必給大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，洗除罪惡與污穢。
(亞 13：1)
8那日，必有活水從耶路撒冷出來，...；冬夏都是如此。
(亞 14：8)
14這稱為我名下的子民，若是自卑、禱告，尋求我的面，
轉離他們的惡行，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的地。
(代下 7：14)
With God’s faithfulness as a
backdrop, winter is also the time of
waiting patiently for the final chapter
of His plan: for the coming of the
Lord, the harvest of the fruits. Just as
James exhorted:
因為背後有神信實這個原因，
冬天也是要耐心等候祂計劃最後章節完成的時間：
因為主會來臨，要來收割果實。
正如雅各的勸告：
Therefore be patient, brethren, until
the coming of the Lord. See how the
farmer waits for the precious fruit
of the earth, waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and latter
rain. You also be patient. Establish
your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord is at hand. (Jas 5:7–8)
7弟兄們哪，你們要忍耐，直到主來。看哪，農夫忍耐等候地裡寶貴的出產，直到得了秋雨春雨。
8你們也當忍耐，堅固你們的心，因為主來的日子近了。
(雅 5：7-8)
SPRING 春天
Ask the LORD for rain
In the time of the latter rain…
(Zech 10:1)
1當春雨的時候，你們要向發閃電的耶和華求雨。...
(亞 10：1)
As winter transitions into spring
in Israel, there are still occasional
showers, known as spring or latter
rain. This spring rain is critical for
lentils and grain to ripen. The arrival
of spring also ushers in the harvest of
the firstfruits.
當以色列冬天移轉到春天的時候，
仍然偶爾有陣雨，為人叫作春雨或晚雨。
這春雨對扁豆和殼物成熟是很重要的。
春天的來到，也引領了初熟果子的收穫時節。
The advent of spring points again
to the faithfulness of God, as He
fulfills the Old Testament messianic
prophecies concerning His coming,
and His promise to pour His Spirit
upon all flesh. The first downpour of
the promised Holy Spirit happened
during the spring festival of the
Pentecost, just as Joel prophesied
when he spoke of the last days (Joel
2:23, 28; Acts 2:1–4, 16–18). This,
in turn, followed the coming of the
Messiah, His death, resurrection, and
ascension (Jn 7:37–39, 16:7).
春天的來臨，再顯示神是信實的，
因為祂應驗了舊約彌賽亞關於祂再來的預言，
及降下聖靈給所有的人。
當神談及有關末後日子的時候，就如約珥書的預言
應許的聖靈第一次降臨，是在春天五旬節的時候發生的。
(珥 2：23，28；徒 2：1-4，16-18)
反過頭來，這個訊息之後，接著就是彌賽亞的降臨，
祂的死亡，復活及升天。
(約 7：37-39，16：7)
While God was faithful in fulfilling
His promise of pouring down the
Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost,
Zechariah’s call for us to ask for the
latter rain indicates the possibility that
the Holy Spirit could be withheld. This
is supported by Jeremiah’s response
to Israel’s unfaithfulness: “Therefore
the showers have been withheld, and
there has been no latter rain” (Jer
3:3). Likewise, when Moses exhorted
the Israelites before they entered the
promised land, he reminded them of
God’s warning:
雖然神是信實的，成就了自已的應許，在五旬節降下聖靈，
撒迦利亞亞先知宣告，要我們祈求晚雨，
就指出聖靈有可能會停下降下來。
這點也佐証了耶利米先知，對以色列人對神不忠心的回應：
3因此甘霖停止，春（原文是晚）雨不降。
(耶 3：3)
同理，當以色列人進入應許之地以前，摩西勸告他們，
提醒神對他們的警告：
“And it shall be that if you earnestly
obey My commandments which I
command you today, to love the
LORD your God and serve Him
with all your heart and with all
your soul, then I will give you the
rain for your land in its season, the
early rain and the latter rain … Take
heed to yourselves, lest your heart
be deceived, and you turn aside and
serve other gods and worship them,
lest the LORD’s anger be aroused
against you, and He shut up the
heavens so that there be no rain.”
(Deut 11:13–17a)
13你們若留意聽從我今日所吩咐的誡命，愛耶和華─你們的神，盡心盡性事奉他，
14他（原文是我）必按時降秋雨春雨在你們的地上，...
16你們要謹慎，免得心中受迷惑，就偏離正路，去事奉敬拜別神。
17耶和華的怒氣向你們發作，就使天閉塞不下雨。
(申 11：13-17a)
If we keep the above verses in mind
as we review church history—with
the degeneration of the apostolic
church towards the end of the first
century (Acts 20:28–30; Rev 2–3) and
the subsequent heresies and pagan
practices that crept into the church—
it should not surprise us that the Holy
Spirit would have been withheld until
now, the end time, when He returned
to restore the church once again.
若我們心中記住上面的經節，當我們在看教會歷史的時候 -
看看使徒教會接近第一世紀末，會變得墮落的情況，
(徒 20：28-30；啟 2-3)
接著各種異端和許多異教的做法，爬進了教會 -
那麼為什麼聖靈會停降直到如今，到末日祂才回來再一次復興教會的原因，
就讓我們一點也不感覺到奇怪了。
CONCLUSION 結論
“[B]ut the land which you cross
over to possess is a land of hills and
valleys, which drinks water from the
rain of heaven, a land for which the
LORD your God cares; the eyes of
the LORD your God are always on it,
from the beginning of the year to the
very end of the year.”
(Deut 11:11–12)
11你們要過去得為業的那地乃是有山有谷、雨水滋潤之地，
12是耶和華─你神所眷顧的；從歲首到年終，耶和華─你神的眼目時常看顧那地。
(申 11：11-12)
This is the faithfulness of God. As
He cares for the land and provides
rain in due season, from the beginning
of the year to the very end, He will
also surely fulfill His plan of salvation
according to His time. God has sown
the seeds of His salvation plan in
autumn, and the winter rains have
watered them so that they will surely
grow to fruition. The spring rain has
arrived and the harvest of the firstfruits
is imminent. The arrival of summer
ushers in the time of judgment for sin.
As the seasons unfold, so does God’s
salvation plan. And if we reflect on the
spiritual significance of each passing
season, we would prepare ourselves
for what is to come.
這就是神的信實。
因為祂掛心地土，從一年的開始到結束，在適當的時間供應雨水，
而祂也會根據自已的時間表，來應驗自已救贖的計劃。
神已經在秋天，撒下祂救贖計劃的種子，
而且冬季的雨水已經澆灌這些種子，
所以他們一定會長大，並且結出果實來。
春雨已經來臨，而初熟果子的收獲即將來到。
夏天的來臨，會引來犯罪審判的時間。
隨著季節逐漸開展，同樣神救贖的計劃也一一進行著。
若我們可以好好想想，過去季節變化的屬靈重要性，
我們就應該要為了即將來到的事情，好好的準備。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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