5. Manna issue 89 - Knowing the Time 辨別末日之時機
FF Chong—London, UK 英國倫敦 FF Chong
In the Bible, to know the time is not just about being conscious of the time as shown on the clock.
It refers, more importantly, to a spiritual strength and capacity
based on knowing God’s work and His plan for His chosen people.
A Christian who knows the time is endowed with a spiritual perception
that keeps his walk in line with God’s way.
Not only is he in a position to resist the corrosive influence of the world,
he is also able to exert a positive influence on those
who are around him, particularly the church community.
在聖經中，分辨時機不僅僅意識到時鐘上顯示的時間。
更重要的是，它指的是一種屬靈力量和能力，
以認識神祂選民的工作與計劃為基礎。
一個認清時機的基督徒，被賦予了屬靈的洞察力，
會使他的行為與神的道路保持一致。
他不僅能夠抵抗世界侵蝕的影響，
他還能夠對某些人產生積極的影響
他周圍的人，尤其在教會團體裡面。
CONTRADICTIONS 矛盾
Not every believer of God knows the time.
In this aspect, the people of God in the Old Testament were inferior even to birds
(Jer 8:7).
When winter approaches, the God-given instinct of migratory birds prompt them to migrate to a safe place.
Their ability to detect and defect to warmer regions
with unfailing regularity is innate, ensuring their survival
and allowing them to continue growing and multiplying.
They know how to avoid being trapped in turbulence,
which could cause them to lose their senses and ultimately, their lives.
並不是每個信神的信徒，都會分辨時機。
在這一方面，舊約神的子民，甚至比飛鳥不如
（耶 8:7）。
當冬天臨近時，候鳥天生的本能，促使它們遷徙到安全的地方。
他們的偵察能力，以及轉移到較溫暖地區的能力，
是與生俱來有規律性的，可以確保他們可以生存，
讓他們可以繼續成長和繁衍眾多。
他們知道如何避免陷入亂流，
而亂流可能會導致他們失去感知能力，最終失去了生命。
Ironically, the people of God were spiritually shortsighted,
being trapped frequently in their waywardness.
Their lack of acknowledgment of their Master’s providence made them inferior to animals
(Isa 1:3).
Having lost the capacity for discernment,
they lived a life contrary to the will of God and grieved their Master, the Lord.
Worse still, God’s judgment was looming
but these people did not have the slightest inkling
that the wrath of God was about to be poured upon them.
諷刺的是，神的子民在靈性上卻是目光短淺，
經常被自已的任性所困。
他們無法認識到，主人好意的預備，使他們不如動物
（賽 1:3）。
失去了辨別的能力，
他們過著違背神旨意的生活，令他們的主耶和華內心憂傷。
更糟糕的是，神的審判迫在眉睫，
可這些人卻沒有半點蛛絲馬跡，
就是神的忿怒即將傾倒在他們身上。
Likewise, the Pharisees and the scribes of Jesus’ days
were unable to discern the signs of the times.
They were religious leaders assigned with the task of leading the nation to God.
Unfortunately, they had lost sight of matters concerning salvation.
They were, ironically, skilled in discerning the weather
(Lk 12:54–56)!
This lack of discernment over spiritual matters earned them a rebuke from Jesus.
同樣，耶穌時代的法利賽人和文士，
無法辨別時代的徵兆。
他們是宗教領袖，肩負著帶領國家歸向神的任務。
不幸的是，他們看不清有關於救恩的事情。
諷刺的是，他們很善於辨別天候
（路 12：54-56）！
對屬靈問題缺乏洞察力的行為，使他們受到了耶穌的斥責。
KEY SIGN OF THE TIME: FALSEHOOD 時代主要的徵兆：虛假
Our ultimate aim in believing Jesus is to receive Him
when He comes again and to be with Him forevermore.
This requires us to stay alert in Jesus to the end.
However, the world distracts us from God,
blinding us with its affluence and allure.
Without spiritual preparation,
we are unable to know the signs of His second coming.
Without a heart sensitive to the word of God,
we are unable to delve deeply into His teachings
through which God enhances our spiritual discernment every day.
我們信耶穌的最終目的，是得到祂，
當他再來時，可以永遠與祂同在。
這需要我們在耶穌裡保持警醒到底。
然而，這個世界使我們對神的事分心，
以其富裕和各種誘惑使我們看不清。
屬靈上若沒有好好準備，
我們就不能知道祂再來的徵兆。
沒有一顆對神的話語敏感的內心，
無法深入研究祂的教義，
通過神的教導，神每天都在增加我們屬靈的洞察力。
To know the time, we need to know its signs.
These signs do not appear in obscure and mysterious ways that defy discernment.
Instead, they are events long prophesied in the Bible
that are happening in the church of God today.
The following considers some signs Jesus spoke about in the Gospels.
These signs cannot be ignored
and must be thoroughly understood with the help of Holy Spirit.
They are interrelated and consistently indicate that the time of Jesus Christ’s second coming is near
(Mt 24:3).
要分辨時機，我們需要知道時機到時的跡象。
這些跡像，不會以晦澀和神秘難以分辨的方式出現。
相反地，他們是聖經中早就已經預言的事件，
今時今日會發生在神的教會中。
接下來，會討論到耶穌在福音書中，所說的一些跡象。
這些跡像不容忽視，
並且必須在聖靈的幫助下徹底好好了解。
它們相互關聯，並一直連續表明，耶穌基督第二次降臨的時間越來臨近了
（太 24:3）。
INCREASE OF FALSE TEACHERS 假教師增多
One sign of Jesus’ second coming is the confusion of the truth
due to the increase of false teachers at a frightening rate
(Mt 24:4–5).
Many will come in the name of Jesus,
saying, “I am the Christ.”
The Gospels of Mark and Luke give a slightly different rendition:
“I am He”
(Mk 13:6; Lk 21:8).
Both “Christ” and “I AM” are titles
that mean the “Messiah” or “the anointed,”
and “the only self-existent God,” respectively.
耶穌再臨的徵兆之一，就是真理的混亂，
是由於假教師以驚人的速度增添
（太 24：4-5）。
許多人將奉耶穌的名而來，
說：“我是基督。”
馬可福音和路加福音給出了稍微不同的翻釋：
“我就是祂”
（可 13:6；路 21:8）。
“基督”和“我是”都是頭銜，
意思分別是“彌賽亞”或“受膏者”，
和“唯一自存的神”。
The attempts by false teachers
to confuse the truth are one of the present dangers in the True Jesus Church.
They subtly distort the doctrine of the “one true God” away from that of the Bible
and the church’s traditional belief.
For example, the church believes and teaches that only God is self-existent.
In recent years, the emergence of heretical teachings
concerning Satan’s self-existence deceived many and hurt the church,
just as Jesus and the apostles had once prophesied
(Mt 24:5; Mk 13:6; 2 Pet 2:1–2).
假教師的意圖，
混淆真理，就是真耶穌教會目前的危險之一。
他們細微地扭曲了“獨一真神”的教義，偏離了聖經的定義
以及教會傳統的信條。
例如，教會信仰並教導，只有神是自有永有。
近年來，異端邪說的出現，
關於撒但自存，欺騙了很多人，傷害了教會，
正如耶穌和使徒，所曾經預言的那樣
（太 24：5；可 13：6；2 彼後 2：1-2）。
This sign is a stern reminder
that we must submit ourselves to the authority of God
and be obedient to the truth that God has given to His church.
Teachers of the word of truth, the gospel of salvation,
must first have no doubt about the accuracy and authenticity of the truth
that the church has received.
They must then teach this truth completely and faithfully
(Phil 4:9; 2 Tim 2:2).
Those who meddle with the pattern of sound words enmesh the church in deception,
but ultimately earn themselves destruction
(2 Pet 2:1).
這個徵兆是一個嚴正的提醒，
我們必須順服神的權柄，
順從神賞賜給教會的真理。
真理之道、救贖福音的教師，
必須首先對真理的精準度和真確性沒有懷疑，
相信教會已經從神領受真理。
然後他們必須完全而忠實地教導這個真理
（腓 4:9；2 提後 2:2）。
那些攪亂純正道理框架的人，使教會陷入欺騙之中，
最終卻讓自己跟著毀滅
（彼後 2:1）。
INCREASE IN INTERNAL CONFLICT 內心衝突增加
Jesus has warned that His coming would not bring peace on earth.
Instead, His coming would bring about conflict and division.
One layer of meaning to this prophecy is the increasing conflict
within the house of God in the last days
(Lk 12:49–53).
This teaching is in line with the prophecy of Micah
(Mic 7:5–6).
The message highlights the prevalence of mistrust among God’s people,
creating an atmosphere that breeds conflict and enmity
—“A man’s enemies are the men of his own household”
(Mic 7:6b).
耶穌警告說，他降臨不會給地上帶來和平。
相反，祂的到來會帶來衝突和分裂。
這個預言其中一層含義是，末世神殿中，會有不斷增加的衝突
末世在神的殿中
（路 12：49-53）。
這個教導吻合了彌迦先知的預言
（彌 7:5-6）。
這個信息強調神子民之間，普遍存在不信任，
營造出一種衝突和敵意增生的氣氛
—“6人的仇敵就是自己家裡的人。”
（彌 7:6b）。
Is such a biblical interpretation exegetically consistent?
Careful analysis of the accounts in the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Micah
shows that both writers highlighted conflicts within the setup of a family or household.
In Luke’s account, immediately after proclaiming the internal conflict
(Lk 12:49–53),
Jesus went on to declare the need to discern the time
(Lk 12:54–56).
This suggests that the intra-household conflict is no routine family misunderstanding
but one that can happen even within the household of the Lord.
這種形式的聖經解釋，在釋經上是否一致？
若是仔細分析路加福音和彌迦書的記載，
顯示出，兩位作者都強調了家庭或家庭成員之間的衝突。
路加福音的敘述中，耶穌宣佈有內部衝突之後，
（路 12：49-53），
就立刻接著宣佈要需要分辨時機
（路 12：54-56）。
這說明，家庭內部的矛盾，並不是一般日常的家庭誤會，
反而是，即使在主家中，也會發生的事。
What is the cause for such a conflict?
From Jesus’ messages on the signs of His second coming,
this conflict stems from the infiltration of falsehood
(Mt 24:4–5; Mk 13:6–7; Lk 21:8–9).
Jesus warned that things that are made for our peace are now hidden from our eyes
(Lk 19:42).
Truth is integral to the church.
It is by the truth we hold onto that we stay reconciled to God.
It is by the truth that we are united together
(Eph 4:13).
When the fabric of unity, the truth, is removed,
believers will fall prey to deception and deceiving spirits.
In the absence of the truth,
man’s heart and the community of faith will become places for wickedness,
hence the exponential increase in conflict.
造成這種衝突的原因是什麼呢？
從耶穌關於他再來的徵兆的信息中，
這場衝突起源於虛假之事滲透進入教會
（太 24：4-5；可 13：6-7；路 21：8-9）。
耶穌警告說，知道關係你平安的事；無奈這事現在是隱藏的，叫你的眼看不出來。
（路 19:42）。
真理與教會是一整體。
只有我們堅持真理，才能與神重新和好。
只有我們堅持真理，我們才能團結在一起
（弗 4:13）。
當團結的基礎，真理，被移除的時候，
信徒將深受欺蒙與欺妄之靈的毒害。
若在沒有真理的情況之下，
人心與信仰的團契，就將成為邪惡進駐之地，
因此各種衝突就會暴增。
JERUSALEM IS SURROUNDED 耶路撒冷受到包圍
According to Luke, we will know that the desolation is near
when Jerusalem (the church in the spiritual sense) is surrounded by armies
(Lk 21:20).
This desolation refers to the abomination of desolation
(Mt 24:15).
In Matthew’s writing, the account of the abomination
is bracketed by two accounts of the rise of false prophets
(Mt 24:11, 24),
indicating that falsehood is the cause of the desolation.
按照路加福音的說法，我們會知道，
當耶路撒冷 （屬靈意義上的教會）
被軍隊包圍的頭候，
遍地荒涼的時機已臨近了
（路加福音 21:20）。
在馬太的寫作中，這種荒涼，是指毀壞可憎之事
（太 24:15），
關於可憎之事的記載，
等同於兩個關於假先知興起的記錄
(太 24:11, 24),
指出，虛假之事是引起荒涼的原因。
The church is able to stand against all odds because God is in her midst.
Nevertheless, God’s presence with the church
is on the condition that she abides by His truth.
The true church cannot afford to be complacent
even for a second because her opponents are the beast from the sea
and the beast from the earth.
These two beasts go all out to fight against God
(Rev 13:5–6),
striving to destroy the church by attacking her foundation, the truth.
When the truth of the church is being challenged
from all directions within the church,
then we would know that the end time is near
(Lk 19:44).
教會能夠克服一切困難，因為神就在她中間。
然而，神與教會同在，
前題條件是教會要遵守神的真理。
真教會不能自滿，
哪怕只有一秒鐘稍為自滿，因為她的對手是來自海中地上的野獸。
這兩隻野獸出去全力對抗神
（啟 13：5-6），
想要經由攻擊教會的根基，真理，來摧毀教會。
當教會的真理受到挑戰的時候，
從教堂內部的各個方向而來，
那麼我們就會知道，末日的時間快到了
（路 19:44）。
HOW DO WE DISCERN THE TIME? 我們如何分辨時機？
Although the signs of the times are clearly recorded in the Bible,
and messages about these are repeatedly preached,
there is no discernible sense of urgency among the believers.
Such general indifference has contributed to a lack of discernment in the church.
Not only will this stifle the growth of the church,
but also over time there will be a general apathy towards
and lack of interest in the matters of God and the well-being of the church.
How can the trend be reversed?
時代的徵兆雖然很清楚地記載在聖經中，
有關這些事情的信息一直被反覆宣講，
然而很多信徒卻沒有明顯的緊迫感。
這種普遍性冷漠的情況導致法教會缺乏辨斷力。
這種情況不僅會扼殺教會的成長，
也會隨著時間的持續下去，信徒對神聖工的事務和教會健並的發展，
表現冷淡，並缺乏興趣。
如何才能扭轉這種趨勢？
WAKE UP FROM SLUMBER 從睡中甦醒
In his message to the believers in Rome,
Paul urged them to wake up from their slumber.
Only those who are spiritually awake will realize
that the salvation of God is nearer than ever before
(Rom 13:11–14).
Spiritual slumber is a threat to our spirituality.
We must never allow ourselves to slip into the darkness of slumber.
As children of light,
we are vastly different from the rest of the world
(1 Thess 5:6).
We do not do things against God and His principles.
保羅寫信給羅馬信徒的信息中，
他鼓勵羅馬信徒要從沉睡中醒來。
只有靈性醒悟的人，才會明白，
神的救恩比以往任何時候都更加接近了
（羅 13：11-14）。
屬靈上的昏睡的情況，對我們靈性的威脅。
我們一定不能讓自己，陷入沉睡黑暗之中。
作為光明之子，
我們與世上其他人大不相同
（帖前 5:6）。
我們不會違背神和祂法則行事。
Waking from slumber requires us to cast off the works of darkness,
for example, lust and pride.
There are two immediate benefits from doing this.
First, we are able to know the truth of God;
those who are of the flesh and controlled by their lust
can never learn the truth well
(2 Tim 3:6–7).
Without the knowledge of the truth,
we will be blind and spiritually unable to see that the time of His coming is near.
Second, the truth enables us to safeguard ourselves against falsehood.
要從昏睡中醒來，需要我們驅逐暗昧的工作，
例如，慾望和驕傲。
這樣做有兩個直接的好處。
第一，我們能夠認識神的真理；
那些屬世並且被慾望控制的人，
永遠學不懂真理
（提後 3：6-7）。
不了解真理的時候，
我們將變得瞎眼，靈性上不能察覺祂降臨的時機已近。
其次，真理使我們能夠保護自己，免受虛假之事的侵害。
PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT 穿上光明的盔甲
Even after being awakened, we cannot afford to become complacent.
If we are not constantly alert and protected,
there is a high likelihood of us falling back into slumber.
We can easily fall under the influence of the world again.
Paul reminds us of the urgent need
to put on the armor of light after casting off the works of darkness
(Rom 13:12).
Our journey of faith is a battle that requires us to prepare well
in order to overcome the world.
The armor of light comprising faith, righteousness and humility
helps us withstand the fiery darts of the wicked one
(Eph 6).
即使醒悟過來，我們也不能承受自滿。
如果我們沒有時刻保持警醒和沒有得到保護，
就很有可能重新陷入沉睡中。
我們很容易再次受到世界的影響。
保羅提醒我們有迫切的需要，
要穿上光明的盔甲，脫去暗昧的行為，
（羅 13:12）。
我們的信仰之旅，是一場需要我們好好準備的戰鬥，
才能勝過世界。
光明的盔甲包括信仰、公義和謙卑，
幫助我們抵擋那惡者一切的火箭
（弗 6）。
This armor of light serves two very important functions.
One is to protect us from external forces;
we will be defeated by such evil forces
if the attributes and nature of God are not part and parcel of our lives.
The other is to guard against internal forces;
we have to keep our heart from turning against God.
Specifically, we must guard against pride,
which comes from the heart and mind.
An arrogant mind submits neither to God nor His word.
We must beware of pride because it can manifest in subtle ways,
deceiving us and playing tricks on us.
Changing the word of God is the most obvious symptom of pride.
When we subdue both sets of forces with the armor of light,
we will be able to maintain the sharpness of our discernment.
這種光明的盔甲，有兩個非常重要的功能。
一是保護我們不受外力攻擊；
我們會被這種邪惡力量所打敗，
如果我們生活不具有某些神的屬性和本質。
二是防範內在產生的力量；
我們必須保守內心，不要轉變為對抗神。
具體來說，我們要提防驕傲，
驕傲來自內心和思想。
若有傲慢的心，就不會順服神，也不會聽從祂的話語。
我們必須提防驕傲之感，因為驕傲會以很微妙的方式表現出來，
欺騙了我們，惡搞我們。
改變神的話語，就是驕傲最明顯的徵兆。
當我們以光明之鎧，制服內外兩股力量的時候，
就能夠保持敏銳的洞察力。
REDEEM THE TIME 拯救整個時代
The word of God is likened to a two-edged sword,
and we are all given this sword.
How often do we apply the word of God in our lives to demonstrate His virtues?
For us to manifest His virtues,
we need time to practice,
for as the old adage says, practice makes perfect.
Nowadays, because of the many distractions in our lives,
it is challenging for us to make good use of our time.
Inspired by the Spirit, Paul said that we must redeem the time
(Eph 5:16; Col 4:5).
We have to rely on God to use our time wisely.
This means we utilize the time God has given us well by exhibiting His virtues,
such as caring for others, preaching,
and cultivating ourselves in a conscious and persistent manner.
神的話好比兩刃的劍，
我們都得到了這把劍。
我們會不會常常在生活中，用神的道理，來表現出祂的美德呢？
為了讓我們彰顯出祂的美德，
我們需要一些時間練習，
因為正如古老的格言所說，熟能生巧。
如今，由於生活中有許多事會分心，
我們很難充分利用自已的時間。
因為受聖靈感動，保羅說，我們必須愛惜光陰
（弗 5:16；西 4:5）。
我們必須依靠神，聰明地使用自已的時間。
這意味著，通過充分利用神給我們的時間，來展現神的美德，
比如關心別人、講道、
並帶著自覺和堅持的心態，持續造就自己。
When each and every one of us is well aware of the necessity of redeeming the time,
the church will collectively gear towards the level of perfection God wants us to reach.
If we put in conscientious effort in redeeming the time,
we will always stay vigilant,
and the entire church will be acutely aware of the signs of the times
that God has revealed around us.
Our spiritual minds will be fine-tuned to anticipate the impending destruction of the universe.
Such perception of the end time will make us look for and hasten the coming of the day of the Lord
(2 Pet 3:12)
and spur us to be diligent in nurturing ourselves spiritually.
當我們每個人，都很清楚地意識到愛惜光陰的必要性時，
教會將會共同朝著，神希望我們達到的完美境界邁進。
如果我們認真努力愛惜光陰，
將時刻保持警覺，
整個教會都會敏銳地覺察到時代的徵兆，
就是神在給我們周圍留下的啟示。
我們的屬靈心態就會準備好，期待迫切來到的世界宇宙毀滅。
這種對末日的認知，會使我們尋求加速主日的來臨
(彼後 3:12)
並鞭策我們殷奮靈修自己。
CONCLUSION 結論
Knowing the signs of the times is not done through physical exercise.
Training our discernment in a classroom setting alone
will not help us to be mindfully aware that
the coming of the Lord is near.
This is because when we are in spiritual slumber,
we lack the discernment to know the time,
despite the signs being around the corner and fulfilled in our midst.
The ways to sharpen our discernment are to discard the works of darkness,
put on the armor of light, and redeem the time, knowing that this world is evil.
要看得懂時代的徵兆，不是通過肉體上的鍛煉來完成的。
若僅在教室的環境中，訓練我們的洞察力，
不會幫助我們意識查覺到，
主再來的日子近了。
這是因為，當我們處於屬靈沉睡狀態的時候，
就缺乏辨別時機的同察力，
儘管會有一些蹟象就在附近，並且發生在我們中間。
要提高我們敏銳洞察力的方法，就是要拋棄那些行在黑暗中的工作，
披上光明的鎧甲，愛惜光陰，明白世上很邪惡。
With these basics put in place,
we will be in a better position to perceive the signs of the times clearly.
We will become faithful to the truth and will not allow any compromise to exist in the church,
knowing that the truth is not a matter of personal opinion.
The church does not and must not tolerate two different sets of doctrines.
Though our defense of the faith will cause the heretics to be more aggressive against us,
the defenders, we should not be surprised;
based on Jesus’ prophecy,
we know the church will inevitably be surrounded by enemies from within.
When these signs happen,
we will know that the end time is near.
若具備了這些根基，
我們將處於更好的狀態，更清楚地辨別時代的微兆。
我們要忠於真理，不允許教會中有任何的妥協，
要明白，關於真理的道，不是個人意見的問題。
教會不應該，也不能容忍有兩套不同的教義。
雖然我們捍衛信仰，會導致異端對我們更加咄咄逼人的攻擊，
身為捍衛者，我們不應該對此感到驚訝；
依照耶穌的預言，
我們知道教會將不可避免地，被來自內部的敵人所包圍。
當這些跡像出現的時候，
就可以知道末日臨近了。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
