What is God Saying - The WTC, Tsunami, and New Orleans Disasters?
上帝在說什麼？—— 世貿大廈，海嘯，和新奧爾良的災難

The first verse that comes to mind is Amos 3:6, "When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?" This one verse keeps us from thinking that God could not possibly have been involved in these disasters. Some said that God could not have been involved because He is loving and merciful. Indeed, He is loving and merciful. But He is the creator and definer and revealer of love and mercy, not us. We must not define His love and mercy in our terms. God's love is demonstrated by the sending of His Son that those who would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. His overview is eternal, not temporal. His love is made apparent in disaster because He is trying to get our attention that we might repent and be saved, lest we find ourselves assigned to an eternal hell which will make earthly disasters --- no matter how devastating --- pale by comparison. God is indeed love, but He is also righteous and holy and He will not tolerate sin in His Kingdom.

我首先想到的經文是《阿摩司書》三章6節：“城中若吹角，百姓豈不驚恐呢？災禍若臨到一城，豈非耶和華所降的嗎？”這節經文讓我們明白神不是不可能與災禍有關。有些人說，神不可能與災禍有關，因為祂是慈愛的。是的，祂是慈愛憐憫的。但是，祂才是“慈愛”和“憐憫”的創造者、定義者和啟示者，我們不是。我們不能用我們的方式定義祂的慈愛和憐憫。神的慈愛借着祂差遣獨生子來到世上，叫信祂的人不致滅亡、反得永生而顯示出來。祂用永恆的眼光，而不是短暫的眼光，來看待事情。在災禍中，祂的慈愛得以清楚表達：祂要得到我們的注意力，叫我們有可能悔改並得救，免得我們至終陷入永遠的沉淪——這和地上無論多麼嚴重的災難相比，都要可怕得多。神確實是愛，但是祂也是公義、聖潔的，在祂的國度里，不容許任何的罪。

The story of Job is mentioned in the book of James as a testament to God's compassion and mercy. But if we were sitting in the ashes scraping our sores with a pottery shard having just lost all of our possessions and children (in a building that collapsed), would we be patient and longsuffering, confident that God was working in our lives because He loves us and desires to demonstrate His compassion and mercy through us? We cannot jump to conclusions that God was not involved in these disasters. God rules the universe and Satan is an underling in the scheme of things. And as revealed in the case of Job, God allows Satan to come against His children FOR REDEMPTIVE PURPOSES. The falling of the twin towers was for redemptive purposes. In the short term it looks like Job sitting in the ashes. But we should praise God rather than coming before Him in counsel without wisdom as did Job's three friends. Of course it was Satan who piloted the planes, but God let him do it. God has redemptive purposes in mind which will ultimately lead to Satan's defeat.

《雅各書》提到約伯是神慈愛和憐憫的一個見證。但若我們自己坐在灰中，用瓦片用力刮身上的痛處，（在一個倒塌的建築物里），失去了所有財產和孩子，我們還能忍耐嗎？還能相信神在我們生命中作工，因為祂愛我們，並渴望通過我們彰顯祂的憐憫和恩慈嗎？我們不能下結論說：神與災難無關。神長官整個宇宙，撒但只是一個下僚。正如《約伯記》所啟示的，神為了祂救贖的目的，允許撒旦與祂的兒女作對。雙子大樓的倒塌是為了救贖。短期看來，約伯坐在灰中。但是我們應當讚美神，而不是像約伯的三個朋友那樣，毫無智慧地來到神面前。當然，確實是撒但策劃了災難，但是神是許可祂這麼做的。神的心意是救贖，這救贖至終會把撒但徹底擊敗。

It was disturbing to read the prophetic statements that came forth following the WTC disaster and again following the recent tsunami disaster. Some said these were judgments from God. But some said these were not God's judgments, but were by the hand of Satan (Because God is love and would not do such a thing). The two viewpoints are as different as night and day, and reveal that we do not know our God as we should. Satan is not the boss and is under the absolute authority of God. He cannot attack God's children without God's approval. Satan had to ask God to touch either Job or Peter.

世貿大廈災難以及海嘯之後的一些所謂預言，讀來都叫人煩惱。有些人說這些都是從神來的審判，另一些人說這些都不是神的審判，而是撒但的作為（因為神是愛，祂不會做那樣的事）。這兩種看法之截然不同，有如白晝較之黑夜，並且都表現出我們並不是如我們該當的那樣認識神。撒但不是老闆，它在神的絕對權柄之下。它不可以不得到神的許可而去碰神的孩子。撒但不能不先問過神而直接去碰約伯或者彼得。

So what then can we say that is not also counsel without wisdom? We can say, based on ????ure, that Satan is like a mad dog on a leash and is only allowed to inflict evil on God's creation as God allows. And we can say that God allows it only for redemptive purposes. Over and over in the Old Testament, God allowed the surrounding nations to come against Israel for redemptive purposes in order that Israel would repent and turn back to God. Both the falling of the tower of Siloam in Jesus' time and the falling of the twin towers in our day were promptings from our Heavenly Father calling us to repentance so that we might be saved. For He desires that none should perish. The seriousness of the warning should give us some inkling of the seriousness of not heeding it. Hell is real, and God is demonstrating His love by providing a way that we might escape it.

因此，我們可怎麼說沒有智慧的話呢？按着聖經，我們可以說，撒但像一隻瘋狗，但它脖子上是有繩子牽着的，只有當神許可的時候，它才可以破壞對神的創造。我們也可以說，神就是為了救贖的目的，才允許它這麼做。在舊約里，神一而再、再而三地允許鄰國前來攻打以色列，為的是救贖的目的：就是祂的百姓能夠悔改、轉向神。耶穌時代的西羅亞樓的倒塌，和雙子大樓的倒塌，都是從天父那裡來的，為要呼召我們悔改，以致得救。因為祂切望沒有一個滅亡。這種警告的嚴重性已經給了我們信號：若不聽從，後果將十分嚴重。地獄是真實的，而上帝顯出了祂的慈愛：祂給了我們一條逃生的路。

But there is more going on here than meets the eye. Jesus defined wars and earthquakes and plagues as "birth pains", as if something good and formative is going to come out of them. Although Job repented in the light of God's glory, God had already declared Job a righteous man. The assaults of Satan against God's elect are not always directly related to the sin of the individual suffering from the assault. Jesus on the cross is the prime example of that. In the case of Job, God wanted to demonstrate something to Satan, and God had to pick a righteous man who could pass the test. In our day, God is pitting Satan against His Church for redemptive purposes which will eventually result in Satan's defeat. For it is through the Church that God desires to demonstrate His wisdom to the powers and authorities (Satan and his fallen angels). As the Church responds to Satan's assaults in the wisdom of the cross of Jesus Christ, Satan will be defeated. Good will overcome evil, though it may well cost the physical lives of the good. Jesus has given His Church the power and authority to crush Satan underfoot. But that crushing will be by the power of God released as the Church responds to Satan's assaults in the wisdom of the cross of Jesus Christ. It will be as we, the Church, allow ourselves to be physically crushed that Satan will be spiritually and ultimately crushed. For that is God's ultimate purpose in Christ Jesus and the reason for which He created all things (Ephesians 3:8-11). And in the midst of these "birth pains", the saints will be matured into the likeness of Jesus Christ. It is a glorious and victorious destiny that we, the Church, are called to . . . but let us understand that the Church discussed here is not the ecumenical stew that is so proudly being proclaimed these days, but only those reborn through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And such a narrow-minded view will increasingly draw the wrath of certain religious ones such that Jesus proclaimed that we, those who are His disciples, will be increasingly hated and ultimately put to death by those religious of the world (who think they are doing God a favor by killing us)--- those who have a broader minded, "more tolerant" approach to spiritual "truths". But, praise God, this is the very means by which the Saints will defeat Satan. "They overcame him (Satan) by the Blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and by loving not their lives unto death (Rev 12:11)." So by "losing" the battle physically, we win it spiritually.

但是，事實所包含的，比眼前所見的更多。耶穌把戰爭、地震和瘟疫定義作“生產之難”，好像暗示這災難之後，有好的結局發生。儘管約伯在神的榮耀面前悔改了，神卻在此之前宣布了他是義人。撒但對神選民發出的攻擊，以及其導致的對個人的傷害，並不直接和那個人的罪有關。十字架上的耶穌就是一個最好的例子。神想要向撒但表明一些事，因此，祂必須挑選一個可以經過考驗的義人。在我們的世代里，神讓撒但和教會作對，是為着終究成全祂救贖的旨意，這救贖將最終擊敗撒但。因為神的旨意是借着教會來（向撒但和其它的墮落的天使）彰顯祂的智慧和權柄。當教會以基督耶穌在十字架上的智慧來回應撒但的攻擊的時候，撒但就被打敗了。良善就勝過罪惡，雖然這可能會賠上義人肉身的生命。耶穌給了祂的教會能力和權柄，可以把撒但踩在腳下。但是這樣的得勝來自教會以耶穌基督的十字架的智慧來回應撒但的攻擊而得着的神的能力。就是我們，基督的教會，願意讓自己的肉身被壓碎，從而把撒但永久地徹底擊垮。這就是神在耶穌基督里終極的旨意，也是祂創造玩友的目的（《以弗所書》三章8-11節）。在這些“生產之難”中，聖徒會變得成熟，漸漸更像耶穌基督。這是我們，基督的教會，被呼召要去的榮耀的、勝利的終局……但是，我們必須要理解的就是，這裡所論及的“教會”，並非這些年來一些人無比驕傲地傳講的 “普世雜燴”(ecumenical church)，而只是指借着耶穌基督流血犧牲而重生成聖的聖徒。這種狹隘的觀點會越來越引致某些宗教人士的憤怒——耶穌曾宣告說：我們，就是祂的門徒，會越來越被憎惡，最終被世界的人（他們自認為殺我們就是幫了神）置於死地——那些人的胸懷比我們寬，對於所謂“屬靈的真理”採取“更為包容”的做法。但是，讚美神！正是借着我們的受死，聖徒將勝過撒但。“弟兄勝過它，是因羔羊的血和自己所見證的道。他們雖至於死，也不愛惜性命。”（《啟示錄》十二章11節）。因此，借着肉身的“損失”，我們得着屬靈的得勝。

The falling of the twin towers and the other disasters that happened that day and most recently the tsunami disaster and the disaster in New Orleans are the indicator of things that are going to come in increasing frequency and intensity. Let us repent and turn to God that He might heal our land and delay further such judgment and allow more of the harvest to be brought in. But in the long run, we know how this is going to end. There is reference in Revelation 8:8 to what seems like an asteroid strike in one of the seas that destroys one-third of the ships in that sea. All of the cities of the world will fall (Revelation 16:19). So ultimately the cities of the nations do not repent. Amidst the increasing judgments that are coming, the Bible says, "And still they did not repent." And the Bible says that God has power over these plagues. Do you suppose that since He has power over the final plagues, He might also have power over these preliminary disasters? And since the final disasters are calling people to repentance, we have to conclude that these initial disaster are calling people to repentance as well. For God doesn't discipline us harshly at the start. He tries to get our attention as quietly and gently as possible. But if we ignore Him, He intensifies the discipline. Only a remnant who lives in those cities will repent. The road is wide to destruction and narrow to salvation. Concerning Babylon, we are counseled to "come out of her my people" so that we do not partake of her plagues. Out of the debris of a destroyed planet will be salvaged the remnant of the followers of Jesus Christ who are destined to rule and reign for eternity. So hang in there Saints. Persevere and endure to the end just like Jesus said we must. The worst . . . and the best . . . is yet to come. Jesus called these times of birth pains because the glory of a birth is in view. But we must endure birth pains to experience that glorious birth.

雙子大樓的倒塌和那天發生的其他災難，以及最近的海嘯和新奧爾良市的災難，都是將要來的更大頻率、更大強度的災難的預告。讓我們悔改、歸向神，好讓祂來醫治這地，遲延這樣的審判，並且帶進更多的收割。但是從長期來看，我們是知道事情將如何終了。《啟示錄》八章8節所記看起來好像是一個行星撞擊海洋，以至於在一個海里，三分之一的船隻都毀了。世界上所有的城市都將傾覆（《啟示錄》十六章9節），所以，至終各國各城的人還是不悔改。在更多的審判面前，《聖經》說“他們仍不悔改”。《聖經》也說神有止住災難的大能。你會不會這樣設想：神既有能力止住那最終的大災殃，祂也有能力對付這些前奏性的災殃？而既然最終的災難的目的是叫人悔改，我們不能不作出這樣的結論：現時的災難也是要人悔改。因為神並非一開始就狠狠地管教我們。祂先是嘗試着用儘量安靜的、溫柔的方式得到我們的注意力。但是，如果我們忽略祂，祂就加重管教的手。在那些城裡，只有餘民悔改。通到毀滅的路寬敞，引導救恩的路狹窄。關於巴比倫，我們知道“我的民哪，你們要從那城出來，免得與她一同有罪，受她所受的災殃”（《啟示錄》十八章4節），因此我們不會受她所受的災殃。從被毀星球的一堆廢墟中出來的是被神救出來的耶穌基督的門徒，他們是預定了要在永世里作王掌權。所以，聖徒們，堅持住！如主耶穌教導我們所必須做的：忍耐到底。最壞的…..和最好的…..都還在後頭。耶穌把這些時候稱作“生產之難”，因為榮耀的生產已經遙遙可見！但是我們必須忍受生產之難，並經歷那榮耀的生產。

God never did answer my question as to what the WTC disaster was specifically about. Probably there are well over 3,500 reasons known only to God. The Bible indicates that some suffer and die for righteousness sake, and some suffer and die as a judgment for sin. Undoubtedly there was some of both that took place on September 11. He did indicate that my priority was not to know all the answers to such questions, but to SEEK HIM. In that seeking, we will find the answers that God wants us to know. And perhaps more importantly, we will find, as did Job, that our questions are irrelevant and even forgotten in light of His glory. Our confusion and unrest will be swept away if we will but SEEK HIM. He is in control. He will win. Satan will lose. And everything that God allows between now and then will be turned to redemptive purposes. It is the genius of God to turn what Satan means for evil into what God means for good. And that good will eventually be victorious.

神一直沒有具體地回答我的問題，就是為什麼有世貿大廈的災難。也許有遠超過3,500條理由，都是只有神知道的。《聖經》告訴我們，一些人為了義而死，另一些人因為犯罪受審判而死。毫無疑問的，九一一那天，兩種情況都有。神確實地告訴我，對我而言要緊的事情並非得到這類問題的答案，而是尋求祂。在這樣的尋求中，我們會發現神願意我們知道的答案。也許，更重要的，就像約伯那樣，他最後在神的榮耀中發現自己的問題根本是不合適的。若我們尋求祂，我們的迷惑和不安都將被掃除一空。祂掌管一切。祂一定得勝。撒但一定失敗。神在現在和那個時候之間所作的一切事情，都是為着救贖。實在是神的智慧，祂用着撒但的惡行，卻成就祂的美善。而那美善至終一定得勝。

We must understand that God is going to allow His judgments and the demonstration of evil to ever increasingly come on this planet as the end of the age nears. Isaiah 26:9 says that when God's judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. But the very next verse says the wicked do not learn righteousness in the midst of grace. Over and over again we see that demonstrated in the history of God's chosen people, Israel.

我們必須理解，神將允許祂的審判和罪惡的顯出在這地上日益增多，因為萬物的結局近了。《以賽亞書》二十六章9節說，當神的審判臨到地上，世人將學習公義。但是，緊接着的一節經文說，惡人就算在恩典中，也不學習公義。在以色列，神所揀選的民族身上，我們一再地看到了這點。

Evil must be displayed and it must come against the Church so that the Church can respond to it in the wisdom of the cross. This is the plan that God has elected to destroy evil. Jesus said many will fall away from the faith during these times. He said that the love of most will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). It is the remnant who will stand in the power and authority of Jesus Christ, willing to demonstrate the wisdom of the cross by laying down their very lives for redemptive purposes, who will overcome Satan and emerge victorious. For out of great tribulation will emerge those who have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14).

罪惡一定會顯出，並且直接針對教會，如此，教會就可以用十字架的智慧來回應。這就是神定意用來除滅罪惡的方法。耶穌說在那樣的日子，許多人會偏離真道。祂說大部分人的愛心會漸漸冷淡（《馬太福音》二十四章12節）。只有餘民會靠着耶穌基督的能力和權柄而站立得穩，願意為着神救贖的目的而捨棄自己的生命，這些人會勝過撒但，得勝地顯出來。因為在大患難中，會出現一批用羔羊的血把衣裳洗白淨了的人（《啟示錄》七章14節）。

The Saints must understand and must be prepared to preach God's love in the midst of such disasters, not by the explanation that "God is love and would not do such a thing", but that God is love and these preliminary disasters are a very expression of His love, as He wishes all to repent and come to the saving knowledge of His Son and thereby escape the reality of a greater and final and eternal judgment.

聖徒必須明白並準備好在這樣的災難中傳揚神的愛。不是傳揚“神是愛，所以祂不會做這種事的”，而是傳揚神是愛，這些初期的患難正是祂愛的表達，因為祂希望所有人都悔改，都認識祂的兒子而得救，從而免去更大的、永恆的審判。