This Spiritual Waimai is a part of a series entitled Mission Accomplished: the mission of Jesus Christ as told by Matthew and now lived out by you and me.
这篇属灵外卖是“完成的使命”系列文章之一，这个由马太福音所述YeSu JiDu的使命，现在要由你我活出来。
中文和英文版本语音
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How can we know when Jesus will return?
我们怎么知道YeSu什么时候再来？
If you knew for a fact that Jesus was going to return in your lifetime, would it affect the way you were living your life?
假如确定知道YeSu会在你有生之年再来，这对你目前的生活方式会有影响吗？
I have a friend named Neal who is often looking forward to Jesus’ return. Especially around Easter time. This year he messaged me:
我的朋友尼尔常常期盼YeSu的再来，特别是在复活节临近时。今年的复活节，他发给我这样的信息：
“I know this is crazy… but how cool would be if He came back on Easter? It would be so perfect! Just saying. I’m so ready. I look up into the clouds all the time and imagine what it would look like. All of a sudden there would be all of these figures appearing in the clouds… thousands of them … then a trumpet would sound… and He would appear… That is the truth.”
“我知道这有些疯狂。。。但如果YeSu就在复活节回来，那该有多棒呀？简直完美！就是说，我完全准备好了。我一直望着天上的云，想象着那看起来会是什么情形。霎那间，所有人都会出现在云彩里。。。成千上万的人。。。然后号角吹响。。。然后主就出现了。。。这就是事实呀。”
Have you considered the fact of Jesus’ return? Do you ever imagine it happening in your lifetime? If you knew when He was coming, how would you prepare? The truth is, whether we are alive or not when it happens, we will see it with our own eyes.
你思考过YeSu的再来吗？曾经想象过这会发生在你的有生之年吗？假如知道祂何时再来，你会怎么预备？事实是，主再来时，无论活着还是已经死去，我们都将亲眼看到这一幕。
Ever since the time of the disciples, people have been looking up into the sky like Neal. It has been almost 2000 years since Jesus ascended to heaven and we are still waiting and watching. Before Jesus’ death on the cross, He gave His disciples and all of us some signs of when He will return. He also gave us some warning and instructions. He clearly stated that no one will know when the exact date of His return will be but that He will return.
从使徒时代，人们就一直像尼尔那样仰望天空。YeSu升天近2000年了，我们依然在守候观望。YeSu在十字架上受死之前，将祂再来的预兆给了门徒和我们所有人。祂也给了我们一些警告和指示。祂清楚宣称人们只能知道祂会再来，但是没有人会知道祂再来的确切日期。
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:1-3 NIV
YeSu出了圣殿，正走的时候，门徒进前来，把殿宇指给他看。 YeSu对他们说：「你们不是看见这殿宇吗？我实在告诉你们，将来在这里没有一块石头留在石头上，不被拆毁了。」 YeSu在橄榄山上坐著，门徒暗暗的来说：「请告诉我们，什麽时候有这些事？你降临和世界的末了有什麽预兆呢？」
马太福音 24:1-3
In Matthew 24, Jesus gives His disciples and us some clear signs of what will happen before His return. He also gives us some warnings and instructions. As we study this chapter, let’s answer these questions:
在马太福音24章，YeSu把祂再来之前要发生的清晰的预兆告诉了门徒和我们。祂也给了我们一些警告和指示。在学习这一章时，来回答这些问题：
What are the signs of Jesus’ soon return?
What are the warnings for us all?
What are the instructions He has given ？
Am I aware of the signs, alert to the warnings and obedient to the instructions?
YeSu即将再来的一些预兆是什么？
给我们所有人的警告是什么？
祂给出什么指示？
我知道这些预兆、对警告警醒并顺服祂的指示吗？
Do not be deceived, watch for world events and finish well
勿受迷惑，观望世事，善始善终
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:4-14 NIV
YeSu回答说：「你们要谨慎，免得有人迷惑你们。 因为将来有好些人冒我的名来，说：『我是基督』，并且要迷惑许多人。 你们也要听见打仗和打仗的风声，总不要惊慌；因为这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到。 民要攻打民，国要攻打国；多处必有饥荒、地震。 这都是灾难（灾难：原文作生产之难）的起头。 那时，人要把你们陷在患难里，也要杀害你们；你们又要为我的名被万民恨恶。 那时，必有许多人跌倒，也要彼此陷害，彼此恨恶； 且有好些假先知起来，迷惑多人。 只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了。 惟有忍耐到底的，必然得救。 这天国的福音要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然後末期才来到。」
马太福音24:4-14
In this time period, many terrible things will occur. False messiahs, wars, earthquakes, persecution, wickedness, decrease of love, false prophets, falling away from the faith. In this kind of environment, can we make it? Jesus encourages us that we can! We can be faithful to the end.
在此期间，会发生很多可怕的事。假弥赛亚、战争、地震、迫害、邪恶、爱心冷淡、假先知、背离信仰。在这种环境中，我们能坚持住吗？YeSu鼓励我们，说我们能！我们能忠心到底。
A few years ago one of my mentors said to me, “I just want to be faithful to the end.” At the time when she said it, I thought, “Really, that’s it?” But over the years I have seen the devastation of not finishing well. You can start strong but you have also got to finish strong. Perseverance is necessary. Stand firm to the end!
几年前一位导师跟我说：“我只想忠心到底。“我当时想：”是吗？仅此而已吗？“但这么多年来，我看到不能善终所带来的破坏。你能善始，但也必须能善终。坚持是必要的。坚持到底！
And when will the end come? One of the best predictors of Christ’s return is the spreading of the gospel. Jesus said He would not return until all of the nations of the earth heard the Good News.
什么时候是末了？福音广传是YeSu再来的最可靠的预言之一。YeSu说在世上万族都听到福音之前祂不会再来。
Time of distress
大灾难的日子
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’”
Matthew 24:16-29 NIV
「你们看见先知但以理所说的『那行毁坏可憎的』站在圣地（读这经的人须要会意）。 那时，在犹太的，应当逃到山上； 在房上的，不要下来拿家里的东西； 在田里的，也不要回去取衣裳。 当那些日子，怀孕的和奶孩子的有祸了。 你们应当祈求，叫你们逃走的时候，不遇见冬天或是安息日。 因为那时必有大灾难，从世界的起头直到如今，没有这样的灾难，後来也必没有。 若不减少那日子，凡有血气的总没有一个得救的；只是为选民，那日子必减少了。 那时，若有人对你们说：『基督在这里』，或说：『基督在那里』，你们不要信！ 因为假基督、假先知将要起来，显大Shen迹、大奇事，倘若能行，连选民也就迷惑了。 看哪，我预先告诉你们了。 若有人对你们说：『看哪，基督在旷野里』，你们不要出去！或说：『看哪，基督在内屋中』，你们不要信！ 闪电从东边发出，直照到西边。人子降临，也要这样。 尸首在那里，鹰也必聚在那里。」 「那些日子的灾难一过去，日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落，天势都要震动。
马太福音24:16-29
There will be a time of great distress before Jesus returns. There will be a desecration of the temple and false messiahs will rise up. Jesus warns us again to not be deceived. Let’s learn now how to endure hardships so when greater hardship comes, we will stay strong with Christ. And the closer we get to Jesus today, the easier it will be to identify a false messiah!
YeSu再来之前将有大灾难的时期。圣殿被亵渎，假先知会兴起。YeSu再次警告我们不要受迷惑。让我们现在就学习忍受艰难，这样在更大的困苦来临时，我们可以靠YeSu保持稳固。今天我们愈亲近YeSu，将来就愈容易识别假弥赛亚！
The return of Christ
基督再来
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Matthew 24:30-31 NIV
那时，人子的兆头要显在天上，地上的万族都要哀哭。他们要看见人子，有能力，有大荣耀，驾著天上的云降临。 他要差遣使者，用号筒的大声，将他的选民，从四方（方：原文作风），从天这边到天那边，都招聚了来。」
马太福音24:30-31
Why will there be mourning at this glorious moment? Maybe those who rejected Him will mourn their foolish rejection of the true Messiah. Those who are “the elect” will be gathered. Are you secure in your position as one of “the elect”? The elect are those who have received the gift of salvation and have been received by the God the Father as one of His children washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Have you looked up into the sky lately to look for His return?
如此荣耀的时刻，为什么地上会有哀哭？也许那些拒绝YeSu的人要为自己愚蠢地拒绝了真正的弥赛亚而哀哭吧。选民将要被召集在一起。你作为选民的地位稳固吗？接受救恩、被YeSu的血洗净、被Shen接纳成为自己的孩子的人是选民。你最近曾仰望天空期盼祂的再来吗？
Watch the signs but no one knows when this will happen
观察预兆，但没有人知道何时发生
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”
Matthew 24:32-41 NIV
「你们可以从无花果树学个比方：当树枝发嫩长叶的时候，你们就知道夏天近了。 这样，你们看见这一切的事，也该知道人子近了，正在门口了。 我实在告诉你们，这世代还没有过去，这些事都要成就。 天地要废去，我的话却不能废去。」 「那日子，那时辰，没有人知道，连天上的使者也不知道，子也不知道，惟独父知道。 挪亚的日子怎样，人子降临也要怎样。 当洪水以前的日子，人照常吃喝嫁娶，直到挪亚进方舟的那日； 不知不觉洪水来了，把他们全都冲去。人子降临也要这样。 那时，两个人在田里，取去一个，撇下一个。 两个女人推磨，取去一个，撇下一个。
马太福音24:32-41
Though we do not know when this will happen, we should be ready and not taken by surprise.
尽管不知道主何时再来，但我们应该预备好，不要弄得措手不及。
Be ready
预备好
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 24:42-51 NIV
所以，你们要警醒，因为不知道你们的主是那一天来到。 家主若知道几更天有贼来，就必警醒，不容人挖透房屋；这是你们所知道的。 所以，你们也要预备，因为你们想不到的时候，人子就来了。」 「谁是忠心有见识的仆人，为主人所派，管理家里的人，按时分粮给他们呢？ 主人来到，看见他这样行，那仆人就有福了。 我实在告诉你们，主人要派他管理一切所有的。 倘若那恶仆心里说：『我的主人必来得迟』， 就动手打他的同伴，又和酒醉的人一同吃喝。 在想不到的日子，不知道的时辰，那仆人的主人要来， 重重的处治他（或作：把他腰斩了），定他和假冒为善的人同罪；在那里必要哀哭切齿了。」
马太福音24:42-51
There are two kinds of servants in Jesus’ parable: the faithful and wise servant and the wicked servant. The faithful and wise servant does not stop serving others even when the master is away. The wicked one has given up on the master’s return and is selfishly serving his own pleasures. The faithful and wise servant will be rewarded with greater responsibility. The wicked servant will be punished and removed.
寓言中有两种仆人：忠心有见识的仆人和恶仆。主人外出时，忠心有见识的仆人没有停止服侍人。恶仆则不理会主的再来，自私地寻欢作乐。忠心有见识的仆人被奖赏托付更大的责任。恶仆则被处罚除去。
What kind of a servant are you? How are you serving those in the household? Are you diligently serving, or have you given up and turned to your own desires? Let’s continue to remind ourselves and others that Christ will return and stay vigilant to do all He has called us to do in His kingdom.
你是哪种仆人？你怎样在 Shen家中服侍？是辛勤服侍还是放弃做工，转而满足私欲？让我们不断提醒自己和别人，基督将要再来，要警醒并开展祂呼召我们在祂国度里要做的工作。
The signs, the warnings and instructions
预兆、警告和指示
We are still in the waiting period. But every year that passes brings us closer and closer to that great and glorious day. The signs are wars, earthquakes, increased wickedness, false prophets and messiahs. But these signs are just the beginning. While we wait, we should intentionally consider Jesus’ warning and instruction.
我们还在等候期。但逝去的每一年都使我们距那伟大和荣耀的日子越来越近。预兆有战争、地震、变本加厉的邪恶、假先知和假弥赛亚。但这些预兆只是开端。在等候时，我们要有意识地思考YeSu的警告和指示。
Guard your mind and heart against false prophets and messiahs. Do you read and study the Bible on your own or just depend on others to lead and teach you? Do you have a prayer life and connection with the Holy Spirit or do you just ask others to pray on your behalf? When you are taught the Bible, do you listen with a discerning ear or just accept everything that is given to you? To be able to identify false prophets and messiahs, we must know the true prophet and true Messiah. We can through the study of His Word and the daily connection with the Holy Spirit.
保守你的心怀意念不受假先知和假弥赛亚迷惑。你能自主阅读和学习圣经吗？还是需要依靠别人来带领并教导你？你常常Daogao、跟圣灵有联结吗？还是你只是要求别人为你代祷？在人教导圣经时，你是分辨聆听呢还是全盘接受听到的一切？必须了解真先知和真弥赛亚才能分别出假先知和假弥赛亚。通过学习Shen的话语和每日跟圣灵的联结，我们能了解。
Do not become passive in your faith or worse, self-focused. Are you serving the Master in His household? How are you serving the family of God and others? Does your lifestyle reflect your commitment to Jesus Christ?
在信仰中不可变得消极，或者更糟糕，聚焦自我。你在Shen家中服侍主了吗？你怎样服侍Shen的家人和其他人？你的生活方式反应出你对YeSu基督的委身吗？
Why is He so slow?
祂为何耽延？
Peter was one of the disciples who heard Jesus’ teaching on the signs, warnings and instructions. Years later when Peter was a church leader, he was still waiting for Jesus’ return. I can guess that some in the church were starting to get a little impatient. When was Jesus going to return? Some people started to scoff at the Christians. They laughed mocked them saying, “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised?” Peter encouraged the church and encourages us today to continue to watch and wait and live lives that bring glory to God.
彼得是最先听到YeSu教导预兆、警告和指示的门徒之一。多年后在成为教会领袖后，他依然等候YeSu的再来。我猜得出教会里的有些人开始有些不耐烦。YeSu什么时候再来呀？有些人开始嘲笑基督徒。他们大笑着嘲弄：“祂承诺的再来在哪里呀？” 彼得鼓励当时的教会和今天的我们，要继续守望等候，并过荣耀Shen的生活。
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
2 Peter 3:9-14 NIV
主所应许的尚未成就，有人以为他是耽延，其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。 但主的日子要像贼来到一样。那日，天必大有响声废去，有形质的都要被烈火销化，地和其上的物都要烧尽了。 这一切既然都要如此销化，你们为人该当怎样圣洁，怎样敬虔， 切切仰望Shen的日子来到。在那日，天被火烧就销化了，有形质的都要被烈火 化。 但我们照他的应许，盼望新天新地，有义居在其中。 亲爱的弟兄啊，你们既盼望这些事，就当殷勤，使自己没有玷污，无可指摘，安然见主；
彼得后书3:9-14
We are still watching and waiting. But the day will certainly come when we see Him with our own eyes. Let’s be ready.
我们仍在守候等待。但那日必要来临，我们必亲眼看见。让我们准备就绪。