第一週■週一

w01d01-ch

晨興餧養

彼前四17『因爲時候到了，審判要從神的家起首。若是先從我們起首，那不信從神福音的人，將有何等的結局？』

彼後三12『期待並催促神的日子來臨？因着那日子的來臨，諸天被火燒就銷化了，所有的元素都要被焚燒而鎔化。』

〔彼得〕這兩封書信是論到神的行政，所以一再說到神與主的審判，（彼前二23，四5 ～ 6，17，彼後二3 ～ 4，9，三7，）作主要的項目之一。這審判是從天使開始，（二3 ～ 4，）經過舊約各世代的人。（5 ～ 9。）然後，在新約時代，審判是從神的家起首，（彼前一17，二23，四6，17，）一直持續到主的日子來到；（彼後三10；）這日子就是在千年國以前，審判猶太人、信徒和外邦人的日子。千年國以後，一切的死者，包括人和鬼，都要受審判而滅亡，（彼前四5，彼後三7，）諸天和地也都要燒盡。（10 下，12。）…有些審判的結果是管教的對付，有些是時代的刑罰，有些是永遠的沉淪。無論如何，主神要藉着這一切的審判，清理並潔淨整個宇宙，使祂得着一個新天新地，成爲充滿祂義的新宇宙，（13，）使祂喜悅。（彼得前書生命讀經，一一一頁。）

信息選讀

在但以理〔對尼布甲尼撒之夢〕的講解裏，他解釋說，…至高的神下命令，把尼布甲尼撒趕出離開人類，與野地的獸同住；他必喫草如牛，失去理性七個時期之久，直到他知道至高者纔是人國的掌權者。（但四23 ～ 25。）但以理四章二十六節接着說，『守望者旣吩咐存留樹根的𣎴，等你知道諸天掌權，以後你的國必定歸你。』

伯沙撒因着酒力的影響，吩咐人將他先祖尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金銀器皿拿來，他與大臣、王后、妃嬪好用這些器皿飲酒，讚美那用金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神。（五2 ～ 4。）他們把耶路撒冷聖殿中敬拜神所用的器皿拿來，用以拜偶像，那是褻瀆神的聖別。

當他們在飲酒、讚美他們的神時，忽然有人手的指頭顯出來，在王宮裏燈臺對面的粉牆上寫字。（5
上。）

但以理在讀出並講解那文字之前，先以四章所記載尼布甲尼撒的經歷，來題醒伯沙撒。但以理認爲發生在尼布甲尼撒身上的事，不僅是給尼布甲尼撒的功課，也是給他所有後裔的功課。…尼布甲尼撒曾受到神厲害的管教，他學到功課以後，就對神獻上讚美。伯沙撒該從這功課有所學習，但他完全不在意這事。因此，但以理對他說，『伯沙撒阿，你是他的子孫，你雖知道這一切，你的心仍不謙卑，竟向天上的主自高，…沒有將尊榮歸與那手中有你氣息，管理你一切道路的神…。』（五22 ～ 24。）伯沙撒沒有想到會受到這樣的責備。

在五章二十五至二十八節，我們看見但以理講解那文字。所寫的文字是：『彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新。』（25。）但以理的講解乃是這樣：彌尼—神已經數算伯沙撒的國的年日，使其終止；提客勒—他被稱在天平裏，顯出他的虧欠；毘勒斯—他的國分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人。（26 ～ 28。）（但以理書生命讀經，四二、四六至四九頁。）

參讀：但以理書生命讀經，第六至七篇。

WEEK 1 — DAY 1

Morning Nourishment

1 Pet. 4:17 For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?

2 Pet. 3:12 Expecting and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens, being on fire, will be dissolved, and the elements, burning with intense heat, are to be melted away?

Since Peter’s Epistles are concerned with the government of God, the judgment of God and of the Lord is referred to repeatedly (1 Pet. 2:23; 4:5-6, 17; 2 Pet. 2:3-4, 9; 3:7) as one of the main items. God’s judgment began from the angels (2:3-4) and passed through the generations of man in the Old Testament (vv. 5-9). Then in the New Testament age it begins from the house of God (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:23; 4:6, 17) and continues until the coming of the day of the Lord (2 Pet. 3:10), which will be a day of judgment on the Jews, the believers, and the Gentiles before the millennium. After the millennium all the dead, including men and demons, will be judged and will perish (1 Pet. 4:5; 2 Pet. 3:7), and the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire (vv. 10b, 12)…Some judgments result in a disciplinary dealing, some in a dispensational punishment, and some in eternal perdition. However, by all these judgments the Lord God will clear up and purify the entire universe that He may have a new heaven and a new earth for a new universe filled with His righteousness (v. 13) for His delight. (Lifestudy of 1 Peter, p. 92)

Today’s Reading

In his interpretation [of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream], Daniel explained…that the Most High God had decreed that he would be driven out from among mankind, dwell with the beasts of the field, be made to eat grass as bulls, and lose his reasoning for a period of seven times, until he came to know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men (Dan. 4:24-25). Verse 26 goes on to say, “In that it was commanded that the stump of roots of the tree be left, your kingdom will be assured to you after you have come to know that the heavens do rule.”

Belshazzar, under the influence of the wine, commanded men to bring the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his forefather had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that he, his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them and praise the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (5:2-4). They took the vessels that were for God’s worship in His holy temple at Jerusalem and used them in worshipping idols. That was an insult to God’s holiness.

At the very moment that they were drinking wine and praising their gods, the fingers of a man’s hand came forth and wrote opposite the lampstand upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace (v. 5a).

Before reading the writing and interpreting it, Daniel reminded Belshazzar of the experience of Nebuchadnezzar recorded in chapter 4. Daniel regarded what happened to Nebuchadnezzar as a lesson not only for Nebuchadnezzar but also for all his descendants…Nebuchadnezzar had been severely disciplined by God and, after he had learned the lesson, offered praise to God. Belshazzar should have learned something from this lesson, but he did not care about it at all. Thus, Daniel said to him, “You his descendant, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens…The God in whose hand is your breath and to whom all your ways belong, you have not honored…” (5:22-24).
In verses 25 through 28 we see Daniel’s interpretation of the writing.

This is the writing that was inscribed: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” (v. 25). This is Daniel’s interpretation of the matter: MENE—God has numbered Belshazzar’s kingdom and brought it to an end; TEKEL—he has been weighed in the scales and found to be lacking; and PERES—his kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians (vv. 26-28). (Life-study of Daniel, pp. 35, 40-42)

Further Reading: Life-study of Daniel, msgs. 6—7