3. Manna issue 84 - Rain In Zion 鍚安的雨水
FF Chong—London, UK
英國倫敦 張福華傳道
There are two distinct climate conditions in Palestine.
For six months, from May to October, no rain falls and the whole land becomes dry and parched.
After that comes the rainy season, from late October to April.
This season may be divided into three parts: the former rain (early or autumn rain),
the winter rain (with torrential downpours), and the latter rain (or spring rain).
[1]The first and third periods of the rainy season are mentioned quite commonly in the Old Testament.
If we dig deeper into the spiritual significance of these biblical references to rain,
we can better understand the special relationship between God and His church.
One hundred years after the True Jesus Church was established by the onset of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit,
let us revisit how God’s Spirit works in His church.
在巴勒斯坦那裡，有二種非常不一樣的氣候。
從五月到十月六個月之間，不會降雨，全地乾燥，像被火烤過一樣。
在那之後就是雨季了，時間是從十月底到四月。
這段時期可以分成三個部份：早雨(早雨或秋雨)，
冬雨(傾盆大雨)，和晚雨(或春雨)。
上面第一個和第三個雨季，舊約聖經裡面常常有提到。
若是我們深入探討聖經裡面，引用雨季的屬靈重要性，
我們會更加了解神和教會的特殊關係。
藉著晚雨聖靈，真耶穌教會已經成立了100年，
讓我們再次回顧神的聖靈是怎麼在教會裡工作。
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER (RAIN) 水(雨)的重要性
Water is a precious life gift from God.
Its very existence highlights God's creative mastery:
it brings balance to all ecosystems; it is a vital source of life;
all living things rely on it for survival,
growth and procreation; and most importantly,
it reveals to us the underlying story of God’s eternal love for humanity since the creation.
水是神賜給我們珍貴的生命禮物。
正是水的存在，顯明了神創造的大能。
水為所有的生態系統帶來平衡；是生命中最重要的元素；
一切的活物都需要水來存活，生長，繁殖；
最重要的是，水元素向我們揭露了，
自創世以來，有神對人類永恒的愛。
Divine Control over Rain 神掌管雨水
The Bible teaches us that God used rain to cultivate His people.
For example, the Law of Moses states that rainfall directly correlated with the Israelites' obedience (Deut 11:14).
God promised to cause a drought whenever the Israelites persisted in their sins,
leaving the land infertile, in order to break their pride (Lev 26:19–20).
Later, Elijah pronounced God's judgment upon Ahab for the grievous sin he had wilfully committed,
proclaiming a drought for three years and six months (1 Kgs 17:1, 7; Jas 5:17–18).
And in Jeremiah’s time, God withheld the harvest rain because of the people’s transgressions (Jer 5:24–25).
聖經教導我們，神用雨水來養育祂的子民。
例如，摩西的律法記載，降雨和以色列民順不順服，有直接相關。
(申 11：14)
神起誓說，若是以色列人一直犯罪，
就會讓地土變貧瘠，要打破以色列人的驕傲。
(利 26：19-20)
後來，以利亞先知向大家宣告，神對亞哈王的判決，
因為亞哈王故意犯下很嚴重的罪，
宣佈會有乾旱三年六個月。
(王上 17：1，7；雅 5：17-18)
還有在耶利米先知的時代，神停降了收獲時節的雨水，
因為人民犯了很多罪。
Clearly, man’s reliance on rain shows us that, physically, we need water and, spiritually, it is our duty is to obey God (Lev 26:4).
很明顯地，人們需要依賴雨水，告訴我們，
在生活上，我們需要水，在靈性上，我們有義務要順從神。
(利 26：4)
Growth and Rain 成長和雨水
The growth and fertility of a field are closely connected to the amount of rain it receives.
From a biblical perspective, this also has a spiritual dimension.
Ezekiel’s message, in chapter 34, discloses that God will make a covenant of peace with His people.
Showers of rain are to follow, resulting in the trees bearing fruit (Ezek 34:26–27).
These showers go beyond natural cycles of rainfall
because they are initiated by God and directly correspond to His covenant with the people.
Therefore, when studying rain in the Bible, we see an intimate relationship between rain
and the spiritual growth or decline of God’s people.
田裡作物的生長和生產力，和田地所接受的雨水量，有很緊密的關係。
從聖經的觀點來看，這也有屬靈的含義。
以西結書34章裡面的訊息，向我們揭露了，
神會和祂的子民訂立平安的約定。
接著就會有一陣陣的雨水降下來，會讓果樹結出果子來。
(結 34：26-27)
這些雨水超出了自然界降雨的循環，
因為這些多出來的雨水是由神授意而降下來的，
直接和以色列百姓與神的約定相關。
所以，當我們研究聖經裡的雨水時，
會看到，雨水和神子民的靈性成長或靈性軟弱，有很緊密的關係。
Rain is Given to Zion Alone 雨水只降在鍚安
We see, then, that rainfall patterns are not just a result of the remarkable power of Mother Nature.
The rainy sub-seasons of Palestine, as presented in the Old Testament prophecies,
reveal a deeper truth:
that God’s Spirit would descend upon man to personally develop
and expand His work, namely, by establishing His church on earth.
接著，我們會看到，降雨的模式，不只是大自然非凡力量的結果，
就像舊約裡面看到的情況，巴勒斯坦地降雨潛在的理由，
闡明了一個更深奧的真理：
神的靈會降在人身上，讓個人可以得到造就，可以擴展聖工，
也就是，在地上建立神的教會。
The Bible teaches us that God will pour out His “rain” twice in human history.
By analyzing the message of Joel (Joel 2:23),
we see that God has set His own schedule of when to give rain to Zion.
It is important to note that the focus is on Zion,
not the physical nation of Israel, indicating a spiritual teaching.
The intention of the Lord is clear: the downpour of the Holy Spirit in two periods of time—
the former rain and the latter rain.
聖經的教導告訴我們，在人類的歷史中，神會兩次降下祂的"雨水"。
若是好好的研究約珥書二章23節的訊息，
我們會發現，神已經設好了自已的規劃行程，決定好什麼時候要在鍚安降雨。
重要的是，要注意到，焦點是降雨在鍚安，
不是物質的國家以色列，指出一種屬靈的教導。
神的想法是很明顯的：聖靈的降臨分了兩個時期 -
早雨聖靈和晚雨聖靈。
The period of the former rain commenced
when the Spirit descended at Pentecost to establish the church on earth —
the spiritual Zion (Heb 12:22; 1 Pet 2:6; Acts 2).
But before God built up His church, several events had to be accomplished first.
These include God’s manifestation in the flesh as Jesus Christ, His sacrifice,
resurrection and imparting of the gospel to the disciples.
After Jesus’ ascension, the Spirit came in two separate time periods:
the first, during the time of the apostles (Acts 2:1, Joel 2:28),
known as the early or former rain;
and the latter rain, which established the end-time true church—
the True Jesus Church—
and will continue until the final harvest.
早雨聖靈的時期開始於，
聖靈在五旬節降臨，在地上建立了教會 - 屬靈上的鍚安。
(來 12：22；彼前 2：6；徒 2)
但在耶穌建立祂的教會之前，有幾件事一定要先完成。
這些包括了，神藉著耶穌基督在肉身上顯現，獻上為祭，
復活，並且把福音傳授給門徒。
而耶穌升天以後，聖靈於兩個不同的時期降臨：
第一次是，使期的時期，
(徒 2：1，珥 2：28)
就是大家所知的早雨；
而晚雨，建立了末世的真教會 - 真耶穌教會 -
會一直延續下去，直到末後最終的收割之時。
GOD WITHHOLDS HIS RAIN 神止住了祂的雨水
In Psalm 46, God states that He would provide a plentiful environment for the city to flourish:
God would plant, grow and sustain both crops and cattle.
It is clear from these verses that the survival of the city was dependent upon the presence of God,
who kept the city safe from the tumultuous storms of the world and ensured its continuous survival (Ps 46:4–6).
詩篇46章，神說，祂會賞賜豐盛的環境，讓這座城市可以興旺：
神會裁種，生長，供養這裡農作物和牲畜的生長。
這些經節說的很清楚，這城市的存在，是因著神的同在，
神讓這座城市得以安全，經歷了世上許多動亂的風暴，
並且確保了城市一直存活下去。
(詩 46：4-6)
However, in Psalm 107, the same city is turned into a wasteland because the people were wicked in God's sight (Ps 107:34).
Physically, God withheld the rain for a long period of time,
resulting in a dry and fruitless land.
Spiritually speaking,
God withdrew His Spirit from the people, who continued to practice wickedness.
然而，詩篇107章，同樣這座城市卻變成了荒地，
因為在神的眼中，城中的人民行為很邪惡。
(詩 107：34)
導致了發生飢荒，地上無法結出果子。
就屬靈的意義來看，
神從人的身上，收回了自已的聖靈，
因為人一直作很邪惡的事情。
Equally, Isaiah paints a vivid picture using the metaphor of the fruitful vine,
representing the land, and the city, representing the people (Isa 32:12–14).
Again, the city and fruitful vine are in a state of desolation,
with thorns, briers and scorpions running amuck.
The chaos and barrenness of the land point to the wickedness of the people:
their godless behavior, corrupt ways and pagan rebellion.
Isaiah depicts the destruction of God’s people as being identical to briers and thorns being consumed by fire
(Isa 9:18–19).
Those who are cursed not only live without the Spirit of God, but are also dead spiritually.
同樣，以賽亞先知用結果子的葡萄樹，描繪一副鮮明的景像，
用來表示這塊土地，這個城市，這群人。
(賽 32：12-14)
再一次，城市和結果的葡萄樹變得很荒涼，
長出很多的荊棘，全部都是蠍子四處遍布。
地上混亂和貧瘠的情況，都指出百姓所行的邪惡：
他們認為沒有神，就行事為人亂來，走在墮落的道路上，就像異教徒一樣的叛逆。
以賽亞先知描寫，神的子民會毀滅，
同樣的情況，就好像荊棘會被人用火燒掉。
(賽 9：18-19)
那些滿口咒罵的人，不只活著得不到聖靈的同在，
而且在靈性上，就好像死了一樣。
It is the Spirit Who Restores 聖靈才能讓人恢復
Whilst this is very depressing,
Isaiah also confirms a transformation made only possible by the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 32:15 describes the order formed from devastation,
and prophesies the coming of the Spirit in two phases in human history—
the first phase transforms the wilderness into a fruitful field,
and the second sees the fruitful field flourish into a forest.
雖然這些事讓人覺得很灰心，
以賽亞先知也證實，只有聖靈的降臨，才能讓人有所改變。
以賽亞書32章15節，描寫了事情發展的順序，是從毀滅中開始的，
預言，以後的人類歷史上，聖靈會分成兩個階段降臨-
第一階段，把曠野轉變成結果的田地，
第二階段，我們看到結果的田野，變得更加茂盛成為一片森林。
Similarly, in Psalm 107, God reverses the barrenness of the land to make it fruitful once again:
He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city or a dwelling place,
And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest. (Ps 107:35–37)
相同的情況，詩篇107篇，神把荒涼的土地，再一次變成到處結實疊疊。
35他使曠野變為水潭，叫旱地變為水泉。
36他使飢餓的人住在那裡，好建造可住的城邑，
37又種田地，栽葡萄園，得享所出的土產。
(詩 107：35-37)
God shows His mercy by stating He will restore the land, by pouring down His Spirit from on high (Isa 32:15a).
因為神很慈愛，所以祂說，要讓土地恢復過來，
要從高處降下聖靈。
(賽 32：15a)
The Period of Drought after the Apostolic Church 使徒教會以後的乾旱時期
In the Old Testament period, the two main reasons why God withheld rain
from His people were idolatry and the blatant disregard of His commands—
in other words, they were not a nation governed by His truth (Deut 11:16ff; Jer 3:2–3; 14:2–6).
These transgressions foreshadow the failings of the apostolic church.
Judging from the epistles to the Galatians and the Colossians,
as well as the Book of Revelation, the apostolic church had become idolatrous
and exposed to heretical attacks, causing confusion amongst the believers and the departure of God’s Spirit.
在舊約時代的時候，神讓自已百姓得不到降雨的二個主要的原因是，
人民拜偶像，而且還以然不遵守神的命令。
換句話說，百姓不是由神真理所管理的國度。
(申 11：16ff；米 3：2-3；14：2-6)
因為這些過錯，預表著使徒教會到最後的墮落。
若是查考加拉太和歌羅西書信來判別，
同時也如啟示錄裡面所寫的一樣，
使徒教會開始拜偶像，
不斷受到邪教異端的攻擊，在信徒中造成很大的混亂，
而神的聖靈就離開了教會。
Paul also writes of future generations defecting from the church's true teachings,
where the wicked would be exalted. We saw this happen after the demise of the apostles.
As God withheld His Spirit, the church degraded into a secular organization.
Unbiblical practices were incorporated into the church,
blending human and pagan beliefs with the pure beliefs that the apostles once taught with great conviction.
保羅也寫了，以後的世代會偏離教會純正的教導，
而那個時候，邪惡的人會得到高舉。
我們看到，當使徒逐一逝去的時候，這種情況就發生了。
隨著神停止了聖靈，教會就墮落變成了普通世俗的組織。
不合聖經的作法，被教會所接納，
讓曾經使徒非常堅信的純正信仰，
卻讓世上和異教徒的想法融入其中。
The Spirit Continued to Work 聖靈一直在工作
Although God’s Spirit departed from the church as it grew corrupt,
He continued to work quietly and assuredly.
The canonization and subsequent translations of the Bible,
for example, points towards the work of the Holy Spirit (see Jn 5:17).
On countless occasions, Satan-instigated leaders tried to destroy the Scriptures, to no avail.
The perfect word of God has been kept intact in mysterious ways throughout the generations.
However, one thing is certain: during this period,
the Holy Spirit did not work in men in the same way as when the apostles were alive.
當教會墮落，雖然聖靈離開了教會，
但聖靈卻是確確實實安安靜靜的一直在工作。
例如，聖經的文章逐漸編纂成為正典，及聖經翻譯的工作，
都可讓人看出這是聖靈的工作。
(參考，約 5：17)
在許多數不清的場合中，那些受到撒旦所煽動的領導人，
都試著想要摧毀聖經，但都沒有成功。
神那完美的話語，都被用著非常神秘的方式，一代接著一代，完完整整的傳承下來。
然而，可以確定的是，在這個時期，
聖靈並不像那使徒還活著的時候，
用那時同樣的方式，在人的身上作工。
GOD CULTIVATES HIS RESTORED VINEYARD 神裁培示所恢復的園子
To strengthen our understanding of the Spirit's work and presence,
we can study the restoration of the vineyard in Isaiah.
The vineyard represents the nation of Israel at the time,
which God had planted.
However, this vineyard brought forth wild grapes (Isa 5:1–7).
As mentioned above, the emergence of briers and thorns represents the corruption
and rebellion of the Israelites (Isa 32:13; Mic 7:3–4; Ezek 2:6).
This caused God to withhold His rain and allow the vineyard to be laid waste (Isa 5:6).
But God would not allow the briers and thorns to remain indefinitely—
He states that he will burn them completely (Isa 27:4).
若要加強我們對聖靈的工作和存在的了解，
我們可以查考以賽亞書裡所記載葡萄園恢復的故事。
葡萄園代表了當時的以色列國，這以色列國是神所親自裁種的。
然而，這座葡萄園卻長出了野葡萄。
(賽 5：1-7)
就像上文所說的一樣，荊棘的出現，代表了以色列人的墮落和背逆。
(賽 32：13；彌 7：3-4；結 2：6)
這些事讓神停止了降雨，讓葡萄園變荒廢。
(賽 5：6)
但是神不會讓這些荊棘永不止境地存在 -
神說，祂會把荊棘完全的燒掉。
(賽 27：4)
The vineyard also represents the apostolic church,
which became corrupted by false teachings and human traditions,
leading to God withholding His Spirit from her.
This is why the fight to destroy “briers and thorns” is depicted in such a dramatic fashion.
Within the restored vineyard—the True Jesus Church—
prompt eradication of briers and thorns is the only way.
The challenge is that their growth can be subtle, but fast.
By the time they were noticed in the first vineyard,
the damage had already been done.
Hence, the Light of Israel—God Himself—will be a fire and a flame,
to consume briers and thorns in a single day (Isa 10:17f).
This means that God will battle against corruption constantly,
keeping watch over His restored vineyard night and day (Isa 27:3–4).
這葡萄園也代表了使徒教會，
而使徒教會也因為錯誤的教導和世俗的遺傳而墮落了，
因而導致神停止教會得到聖靈。
這就是為何摧毀"荊棘"的戰鬥，是以這種戲劇化的方式描寫下來。
在這重建的葡萄園 - 真耶穌教會 -
要進行消滅荊棘是唯一可行之路。
所要面臨的挑戰是，荊棘的成長很細微，但卻長很快。
當大家在第一個葡萄園中，注意到他們的時候，
荊棘已經造成了傷害。
因此，神自已成為以色列的光必如火；必如火燄。
在一日之間，將荊棘和蒺藜焚燒淨盡。
(賽 10：17f)
這代表了，神會一直和墮落的事爭戰，
日夜看顧祂恢復過來的葡萄園。
(賽 27：3-4)
This analogy emphasizes the need to deal swiftly with heresies in the True Jesus Church.
Since her establishment, the church has always corrected unbiblical teachings.
Therefore, to allow wrong teachings to fester within the church will cause great damage.
The Lord wishes for no harm to come to the vineyard,
for He loves it and will water it at every moment,
with great effort (Isa 27:3).
God's mercy and restorative purging will take place when the church is willing to rely on the Spirit completely
(Isa 32:15).
這個比喻強調的是，在真耶穌教會裡面，有必要快速來處理異端。
自從教會建立之後，教會一直在糾正不合聖經的教導。
所以，若是容忍錯誤的教導腐化教會，將會引起很大的損害。
主不會希望有任何傷害臨到這個葡萄園，因為祂愛這座園子，
無時無刻都會很用心的為園子灌溉。
(賽 27：3)
當教會願意完全依靠聖靈，
神就會發出祂的慈愛，恢復清潔教會。
(賽 32：15)
Relying on the Spirit to cultivate the restored vineyard means relying on God’s word,
which is also represented by rain in the Scriptures (Isa 55:8–11).
God’s words (promises), once spoken, are not spoken in vain.
When rain falls, it nurtures the land,
and God's words produce a similar soul-reviving effect in our lives.
依靠聖靈來造就這座恢復過來的葡萄園，
意思就是依靠神的話，
也代表了靠著聖經裡面的雨水。
(賽 55：8-11)
神的話語，就是神的應許，曾經這麼說，並不是白白說說而已。
當雨降了下來，雨水可以滋潤大地，
而神的話語，能在我們的生活中，產生同樣靈魂復甦的功效。
The true church will only grow when she holds fast to God’s words and His nurturing presence,
which is also described as rain falling on grass before it is cut.
It is like a shower that waters the earth (Ps 72:6; Hos 6:3).
The result is that the righteous will flourish with abundance of peace (Ps 72:7).
In a spiritual sense, the presence of the Spirit causes growth
and instills life in the church, drawing souls to the household of God.
當真教會堅守神的話語，出了神愛對教會的哺育，
只有這樣教會才會成長，
這種情況，也被描寫成，青草在被割除了前，有雨水降在地上。
就是這雨滋潤了大地。
(詩 72：6；何 6：3)
結果就是，義人要發旺，大有平安。
(詩 72：7)
就屬靈的意義來說，聖靈的存在會讓教會成長，
讓教會帶給人得到生命，吸引更多的靈魂進入神的家。
CONCLUSION 結論
In light of man's wicked behavior,
and the corruption within the history of Christianity,
God planned two time-periods where the Spirit would establish His church.
At the same time, God has reserved the harvesting work for those who belong to Him,
at the time of the latter rain (which is now).
God's plan is perfect and mysterious;
it will run its course in such a way that,
unless blessed with spiritual enlightenment, we may never understand.
神看到人有很多邪惡的行為，而且在基督教歷史裡也有很多墮落的事情，
所以神就規劃了二個時期，讓聖靈來建立祂的教會。
同時，神在晚雨的時期，保留了收割的工作，留給那些屬於祂的人。(就是現今的時候)。
神的計劃是完美和神秘的；會照著發展下去，
是以一種除非得到神所祝福，有聖靈的啟示得已明白，
不然我們永遠不會了解這計劃的情況。
These teachings highlight God's mercy and compassion on us and,
as we are in the period of the latter rain, we should participate in the harvesting work.
This is the duty of the True Jesus Church, the highest mountain of God,
confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
As we mark the centennial of the church established by the latter rain,
let us continue to pray for the completion of the Spirit’s restoration and revival work.
這些教導，強調神對我們的慈愛和憐憫，
而我們正處於晚雨聖靈的時期，就應該參與收割的工作。
這就是真耶穌教會的責任，神最高的山，
是有神聖靈的同在加以應証。
當我們記念晚雨聖靈建立教會一百周年的時候，
讓我們持續禱告，讓聖靈修護和復甦的工作得以完成。
[1] There are various Hebrew words used to denote the three parts of the rainy season:
1. Yoreh (Hos 6:3) or Moreh (Joel 2:23) denotes “the former or the early rain”
The "early" or "former" rains commence in autumn, in late October or early November.
[1]希伯文中，有很多不同的字可以用來表示這三個各別的雨季，
1. Yoreh (何 6：3)或 Moreh(珥 2：23)表示"早雨"。
早雨是秋天開始，大約於十月底或十一月初。
2. Melqosh means “the latter rain" (Prov 16:1, 5)
Melqosh 意思是 "晚雨"(箴 16：1，5)
The "latter" or “spring” rains fall in March and April,
after the coldest months of January and February have passed.
Melqosh 意思是 "晚雨"(箴 16：1，5)
在一月二月最冷的月份過去之後，
晚雨或春雨降下來的時節是三月和四月。
3. Geshem or Matar means "the rains" (Gen 7:12; Ezra 10:9)
Geshem or Matar 意思是降雨 (創 7：12；拉 10：9)
Both terms are used in a very general sense.
But the former has a more specific usage,
to denote the heavy, even violent, rain that comes down in the winter.
這二個都是一般的用字。
但是前者 Geshem 卻有更加特別的用法，
用來描約大雨，甚至是冬天才會降臨的暴雨。
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