Christ pointed His people to the budding trees of Spring, in order that they would understand the “signs” and the implication of the “signs” of the last days.
基督將祂的子民指向春天發芽嘅樹木，為要叫佢哋明白末後日子各樣「徵兆」同埋呢啲「徵兆」所包含嘅意義。
“Christ had bidden His people watch for the signs of His advent and rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their coming King. ‘When these things begin to come to pass,’ He said, ‘then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.’ He pointed His followers to the budding trees of spring, and said: ‘When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.’ Luke 21:28, 30, 31.” The Great Controversy, 308.
「基督曾吩咐祂的子民要儆醒，等候祂降臨的預兆；當他們看見那位將要來臨之君王的徵象時，便當歡喜快樂。祂說：『這些事一開始發生，你們就當挺身昂首，因為你們得贖的日子近了。』祂又指着春天發芽的樹木對祂的跟從者說：『樹木發芽的時候，你們一看見，自然曉得夏天近了。這樣，你們看見這些事漸漸地成就，也該曉得神的國近了。』路加福音 21:28, 30, 31。」《善惡之爭》，308頁。
The “signs” of the last days were typified by the “signs,” that announced and ushered in the movement of the first angel. Those “signs” included the shaking of the heavens, but Joel identifies that the “signs” of the last days, the days when the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and not found, when God’s holy mountain is holy forever, for no strangers will ever pass through her again, the shaking of the powers of the heavens, will also include the shaking of the powers of earth. Sister White identifies the distinction between the shaking of the powers of the heavens and the powers of the earth.
末後日子嘅「徵兆」，係由那些宣告並引進第一位天使運動嘅「徵兆」所預表嘅。那些「徵兆」包括天上嘅震動；但約珥指出，末後日子嘅「徵兆」——就係嗰啲日子，以色列嘅罪孽必被尋求而不得見，上帝嘅聖山永遠為聖，因為外邦人必不再從其中經過——諸天權勢嘅震動，也必包括地上權勢嘅震動。懷愛倫姊妹指出，諸天權勢嘅震動同地上權勢嘅震動之間，乃有分別。
“December 16, 1848, the Lord gave me a view of the shaking of the powers of the heavens. I saw that when the Lord said ‘heaven,’ in giving the signs recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, He meant heaven, and when He said ‘earth’ He meant earth. The powers of heaven are the sun, moon, and stars. They rule in the heavens. The powers of earth are those that rule on the earth. The powers of heaven will be shaken at the voice of God. Then the sun, moon, and stars will be moved out of their places. They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice of God.
「1848年12月16日，主使我見到天上權能震動的異象。我看見，當主在馬太、馬可和路加所記載的預兆中說到『天』的時候，祂所指的就是天；當祂說到『地』的時候，祂所指的就是地。天上的權能就是太陽、月亮和眾星。它們在天上掌權。地上的權能就是那些在地上掌權的。天上的權能必因上帝的聲音而震動。那時，太陽、月亮和眾星都要離開原位。它們不是廢去，乃是被上帝的聲音所震動。」
“Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could look up through the open space in Orion, whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space. I saw that the powers of earth are now being shaken and that events come in order. War, and rumors of war, sword, famine, and pestilence are first to shake the powers of earth, then the voice of God will shake the sun, moon, and stars, and this earth also. I saw that the shaking of the powers in Europe is not, as some teach, the shaking of the powers of heaven, but it is the shaking of the angry nations.” Early Writings, 41.
「昏暗而沉重的雲彩湧上來，彼此衝擊。穹蒼裂開並向後捲去；隨後我哋得以透過獵戶座中嗰敞開之處向上觀看，從嗰度有上帝嘅聲音發出。聖城將要經過嗰敞開之處降下。我看見地上嘅權勢現今正被震動，而各樣事件乃按次序而來。戰爭，同打仗嘅風聲，刀劍、饑荒同瘟疫，首先要震動地上嘅權勢；然後上帝嘅聲音要震動日、月、星辰，以及這地。我看見，歐洲諸權勢嘅震動，並唔係如有啲人所教導那樣，係天上權勢嘅震動；而係憤怒列國嘅震動。」《早期著作》，41。
The shaking of the heavens in Matthew, Mark and Luke represent the shaking of the powers that rule the heavens, as represented by the sun, moon and stars. All of these heavenly powers were shaken, and produced the “signs,” which ushered in and announced the movement of the first angel. Those heavenly powers will be again shaken during the movement of the third angel. But in the movement of the third angel, the powers of earth will also be shaken. The powers of earth are the powers that rule the earth. On September 11, 2001, the powers of earth, not heaven, were shaken.
《馬太福音》、《馬可福音》同《路加福音》中天上嘅震動，乃係指嗰啲掌管諸天之權勢嘅震動，而呢啲權勢係由日、月、星所表徵。呢一切屬天嘅權勢都曾被震動，並且產生咗嗰啲「兆頭」，以引進並宣告第一位天使嘅運動。然而，喺第三位天使嘅運動期間，呢啲屬天嘅權勢將再次被震動。但喺第三位天使嘅運動中，地上嘅權勢亦都要被震動。地上嘅權勢，就係嗰啲掌管地上嘅權勢。喺2001年9月11日，被震動嘅乃係地上嘅權勢，唔係天上嘅權勢。
“Now comes the word that I have declared that New York is to be swept away by a tidal wave? This I have never said. I have said, as I looked at the great buildings going up there, story after story, ‘What terrible scenes will take place when the Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth! Then the words of Revelation 18:1–3 will be fulfilled.’ The whole of the eighteenth chapter of Revelation is a warning of what is coming on the earth. But I have no light in particular in regard to what is coming on New York, only that I know that one day the great buildings there will be thrown down by the turning and overturning of God’s power. From the light given me, I know that destruction is in the world. One word from the Lord, one touch of his mighty power, and these massive structures will fall. Scenes will take place the fearfulness of which we cannot imagine.” Review and Herald, July 5, 1906.
「如今竟傳出我曾宣告紐約要被海嘯捲去嗎？這我從未說過。我曾說，當我看見那裏一座又一座高樓大廈層層興建起來時，便說：『當主起來猛烈震動大地之時，將會有何等可怕的景象發生！那時，啟示錄18:1–3的話便要應驗。』啟示錄第十八章全章，都是對將要臨到地上的事之警告。但關於將要臨到紐約的事，我並沒有特別的亮光；我只知道，終有一日，那裏的宏偉建築必因上帝能力的轉動與傾覆而被拆毀。從所賜給我的亮光，我知道毀滅正在這世界中。一句出於主的話，祂大能的一觸，這些龐大的建築物便會倒塌。將要發生的景象，其可怕程度是我們所無法想像的。」《Review and Herald》，1906年7月5日。
In the history of the Millerites one of the signs recorded by Luke was the “distress of nations.” The nations represent the powers that rule the earth, and on September 11, 2001, every nation on earth was shaken as the third Woe arrived into prophetic history. That earthly shaking was represented in Luke twenty-one, but not by the biblical expression of the shaking of the powers of the earth. It was represented by the phrase, “the distress of nations,” as was brought upon the nations of the world when the great buildings of New York were brought down. “The distress of nations” in Luke is the shaking of the powers of earth, and it was fulfilled in the history of the Millerites.
喺米勒派嘅歷史當中，路加所記載嘅其中一個徵兆，就係「列國困苦」。列國象徵統治全地嘅權勢；而喺2001年9月11日，當第三樣災禍進入預言歷史之時，地上每一個國家都受到震動。呢一場屬地嘅震動，喺路加二十一章中有所表徵，但並唔係用聖經中「地上權勢震動」呢一個措辭嚟表達；而係藉着「列國困苦」呢一句話嚟表達，正如當紐約嘅宏偉建築物被推倒之時，臨到世上列國嘅景況一樣。路加所講嘅「列國困苦」，就係地上權勢嘅震動，而呢一點喺米勒派嘅歷史當中已經應驗。
“I saw that the powers of earth are now being shaken and that events come in order. War, and rumors of war, sword, famine, and pestilence are first to shake the powers of earth, then the voice of God will shake the sun, moon, and stars, and this earth also. I saw that the shaking of the powers in Europe is not, as some teach, the shaking of the powers of heaven, but it is the shaking of the angry nations.” Early Writings, 41.
「我看見地上列國的權勢現今正在被震動，而且各樣事件乃是按次序而來。戰爭，並打仗的風聲，刀劍、饑荒和瘟疫，首先要震動地上的權勢；然後上帝的聲音要震動日頭、月亮和眾星，這地也要被震動。我看見，歐洲諸權勢的震動，並不像有些人所教導的是天上權勢的震動；乃是憤怒之列國的震動。」Early Writings, 41.
The “shaking of the powers of the angry nations,” is the shaking of the “powers of earth,” as illustrated in the early history of Adventism by the shaking of the “powers in Europe.” Uriah Smith identified what was shaking the powers in Europe in 1838.
「憤怒列國之權勢的震動」，就是「地上諸權勢」的震動；正如復臨運動早期歷史中所顯示的那樣，乃藉着「歐洲諸權勢」的震動而表明出來。烏利亞·史密夫在1838年指出了那使歐洲諸權勢震動的事物。
“As the prophetic period of this [6th] trumpet commenced by the voluntary surrender of power into the hands of the Turks by the Christian emperor of the East, so we might justly conclude that its termination would be marked by the voluntary surrender of that power by the Turkish Sultan back again into the hands of the Christians. In 1838 Turkey became involved in war with Egypt. The Egyptians bid fair to overthrow the Turkish power. To prevent this, the four great powers of Europe, England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, interfered to sustain the Turkish government. Turkey accepted their intervention. A conference was held in London at which an ultimatum was drawn up to be presented to Mehemet Ali, the Pacha of Egypt. It is evident that when this ultimatum should be placed in the hands of Mehemet, the destiny of the Ottoman Empire would be virtually lodged in the hands of the Christian powers of Europe. This ultimatum was placed in the hands of Mehemet on the 11th day of August 1840! and on that very day the Sultan addressed a note to the ambassadors of the four powers, inquiring what should be done in case Mehemet refused to comply with the terms which they had proposed. The answer was that he need not alarm himself about any contingency that might arise; for they had made provision for that. The prophetic period ended, and on that very day the control of Mohammedan affairs passed into the hands of Christians, just as the control of Christian affairs had passed into the hands of the Mohammedans 391 years and 15 days before. Thus the second woe ended, and the sixth trumpet ceased its sounding.” Uriah Smith, Synopsis of Present Truth, 218.
「正如呢個〔第六〕號角嘅預言時期，係由東方基督徒皇帝自願將權柄交喺土耳其人手中而開始；照樣，我哋亦可以合理地斷定，佢嘅終結，必會以土耳其蘇丹自願將嗰權柄再次交還畀基督徒手中作為標誌。1838年，土耳其捲入與埃及嘅戰爭。埃及人睇嚟幾乎要推翻土耳其嘅勢力。為咗防止此事發生，歐洲四大強國——英國、俄國、奧地利同普魯士——出面干預，以維持土耳其政府。土耳其接受咗佢哋嘅干預。喺倫敦召開咗一次會議，會中擬定咗一份最後通牒，準備交畀埃及嘅帕夏米希密特阿里。顯然，當呢份最後通牒交到米希密特手中之時，鄂圖曼帝國嘅命運，實際上就等於交託喺歐洲基督教列強手中。呢份最後通牒係喺1840年8月11日交到米希密特手中！而正正喺嗰一日，蘇丹向四國使節發出一份照會，詢問倘若米希密特拒絕遵從佢哋所提出嘅條款，應當點樣處置。答覆係，佢毋須為任何可能發生嘅變故憂慮；因為佢哋已經為此作好安排。預言時期至此告終；而正正喺嗰一日，回教事務嘅控制權轉移到基督徒手中，正如391年零15日之前，基督徒事務嘅控制權曾經轉移到回教徒手中一樣。於是，第二樣災禍結束，第六號角亦停止吹響。」烏利亞‧史密夫，《現代真理撮要》，218。
Islam of the second Woe, had passed the zenith of its power, which according to God’s word was to continue for three hundred and ninety-one years and fifteen days. Yet in the 1830’s Egypt was attempting to re-establish a caliphate in Egypt for the purpose of continuing the second great jihad of Muslim history. The possibility of more Islamic warfare was causing the European powers to shake in fear. For decades the crisis of Islam re-igniting its warfare was labelled by the historians and the reporters of those years as the “Eastern Question.” The warfare of the children of the east had been carried out for centuries against the nations of Europe, who derived their religion from the Roman church. In 1838, “the distress of nations,” referred to by Christ represented the shaking of the angry nations that was produced by the warfare brought against the former Roman Empire by Islam.
第二樣災禍之伊斯蘭，已經過咗其權勢之極盛；按住上帝嘅話語，呢種權勢本應持續三百九十一年零十五日。然而，到咗1830年代，埃及正試圖喺埃及重建一個哈里發國，目的係要延續穆斯林歷史上第二次大聖戰。伊斯蘭戰爭再起嘅可能性，令歐洲列強因恐懼而震動。幾十年來，伊斯蘭重新燃起戰火嘅危機，被當年嘅歷史學家同記者稱為「東方問題」。東方之子民嘅戰爭，幾個世紀以來一直都係針對歐洲各國而進行；呢啲國家嘅宗教係源自羅馬教會。到咗1838年，基督所提及嘅「列國困苦」，所代表嘅，乃係因伊斯蘭向前羅馬帝國所發動嘅戰爭而引起之憤怒列國的震動。
“By [loosing] the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates, I understand that God was now about to suffer the four principal nations of which the Ottoman empire was composed, which had in vain attempted to subdue the Eastern Empire at Constantinople, and made but little progress in conquering Europe, now to take Constantinople, and to overrun and subdue one third part of Europe, which was the fact about the middle of the fifteenth century.” Works of William Miller, Volume 2, 121.
「藉着〔釋放〕那四個被捆綁在伯拉大河的大使者，我所理解的是：上帝當時將要容讓組成鄂圖曼帝國的四個主要民族——這些民族曾徒然嘗試制服駐於君士坦丁堡的東方帝國，並且在征服歐洲方面只取得極少進展——如今攻取君士坦丁堡，並蹂躪且制服歐洲三分之一之地；而這事實上正是發生於十五世紀中葉左右。」William Miller, Works, Volume 2, 121.
The distress of nations in the narrative found in Luke was “with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring,” and with men’s “hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” The perplexity of the Eastern Question continued to agitate the powers of earth all the way into the twentieth century, and the symbol of that distress was “men’s hearts failing them for fear” and the “sea and waves roaring.”
路加所記載嘅敘述中，列國嘅困苦乃係「困惑不安；海同浪咆哮」，並且人嘅「心都因恐懼，同因盼望將要臨到地上嘅事而消化」。東方問題所引起嘅困惑，持續激動地上列強，直至二十世紀，而嗰困苦嘅象徵，就係「人嘅心因恐懼而消化」同埋「海同浪咆哮」。
“This sealing of the servants of God is the same that was shown to Ezekiel in vision. John also had been a witness of this most startling revelation. He saw the sea and the waves roaring, and men’s hearts failing them for fear. He beheld the earth moved, and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea (which is literally taking place), the water thereof roaring and troubled, and the mountains shaking with the swelling thereof. He was shown plagues, pestilence, famine, and death performing their terrible mission.” Testimonies to Ministers, 445.
「呢個為上帝僕人蓋印嘅事，正係喺異象中向以西結所顯示嘅同一件事。約翰亦都曾經作過呢個極其驚人啟示嘅見證人。佢看見海同波浪咆哮，眾人因懼怕而心都消化。佢觀看見大地震動，群山被挪移到海中（呢件事正係按字面實際發生），其中嘅水咆哮翻騰，群山因海浪澎湃而震動。佢又蒙指示，看見瘟疫、災殃、饑荒同死亡正在執行佢哋可怕嘅使命。」《傳道人證言》，445。
When John was shown the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, he saw the distress of nations, as represented by the seas and waves roaring, and men’s hearts failing for fear, and it was the same sealing that Ezekiel was shown in chapter nine. Ezekiel was shown the internal elements of the sealing and John was shown the external elements associated with the sealing. John saw that the angering of the nations is associated with the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, and the angering of the nations is also Luke’s distress of nations which is historically identified as the Eastern Question. John was shown that Islam of the third Woe, is the external sign of the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand.
當約翰蒙指示看見十四萬四千人受印的事時，他看見列國的困苦，正如海同波濤洶湧咆哮所表徵的，又看見人因懼怕而心膽俱裂；這與以西結在第九章所蒙指示看見的，乃是同一個受印。以西結所蒙指示的是受印之內在的要素，而約翰所蒙指示的，乃是與受印有關之外在的要素。約翰看見，列國被激怒與十四萬四千人受印有關；而列國被激怒，也就是路加所說列國的困苦，按歷史而言，乃被界定為東方問題。約翰又蒙指示看見，第三樣災禍中的伊斯蘭，乃是十四萬四千人受印之外在的徵兆。
“The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.
「現今乃係一個令一切在世之人都極其關切嘅時代。統治者與政治家，凡居於受託與掌權地位嘅人，各階層有思想嘅男女，都將注意力集中於我哋周遭正在發生嘅事上。佢哋正注視住列國之間嗰種緊張不安嘅關係；佢哋留意到一股強烈嘅勢頭正在支配地上一切嘅因素，並且認識到，有一件重大而具決定性嘅事快將發生——世界正處於一場驚天動地之危機嘅邊緣。」
“Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, that they may not blow until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth; and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture.
「天使現今正抑制着紛爭之風，使其在世界未曾受到其將臨厄運之警告之前，不致吹起；然而，一場風暴正在醞釀，隨時要向大地爆發；及至上帝吩咐祂的天使放開那些風之時，必有一幅任何筆墨都無法描繪的紛爭景象。
“The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of these things. Here are revealed the great final scenes in the history of our world, events that already are casting their shadows before, the sound of their approach causing the earth to tremble and men’s hearts to fail them for fear.” Education, 179, 180.
「《聖經》，唯有《聖經》，對呢啲事提供正確嘅觀點。喺其中，已經啟示咗我哋呢個世界歷史中最後嘅重大場景；呢啲事件嘅影兒，現今已經先行投下，佢哋臨近嘅聲響使大地震動，亦使人因懼怕而膽戰心驚。」《教育論》，179，180。
In Luke chapter twenty-one Jesus identified the “signs” that ushered in the Millerite movement, and all those “signs”, according to Sister White, were fulfilled. The Lisbon earthquake, the dark day, the falling of the stars, and the distress of nations, which represented the shaking of the powers of earth that was fulfilled by Islam in the fear produced by the Eastern Question, are all fulfilled. The Millerite “signs” also include the Son of man coming with a cloud which was fulfilled in the correct order that the “signs” were given by Christ, for after the distress of nations ended with the restraint of the Ottoman supremacy in 1840, Christ came to the Most Holy Place on October 22, 1844, and when He came He came with clouds.
喺《路加福音》第二十一章，耶穌指出咗引進米勒派運動嘅「預兆」；而照懷愛倫姊妹所言，呢一切「預兆」都已經應驗。里斯本大地震、黑暗之日、眾星墜落，以及列國困苦——呢一項乃係表徵地上權勢嘅震動，而呢震動藉住伊斯蘭教喺東方問題所引起嘅恐懼之中得以應驗——都已經應驗。米勒派嘅「預兆」亦包括人子駕雲降臨；而呢一點亦係按照基督所賜下「預兆」嘅正確次序而得以應驗，因為喺1840年奧斯曼最高權勢受到遏制、列國困苦告終之後，基督於1844年10月22日進入至聖所；而當祂來到嘅時候，祂乃係駕雲而來。
“‘And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.’ Daniel 7:13, 14. The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies and there appears in the presence of God to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” The Great Controversy, 479.
「『我在夜間的異象中觀看，見有一位像人子的，駕着天雲而來，被領到亙古常在者面前；得了權柄、榮耀、國度，使各方、各國、各族的人都事奉祂；祂的權柄是永遠的，不能廢去。』但以理書 7:13, 14。這裏所描述基督的來臨，並不是祂第二次降臨到地上。祂乃是來到天上的亙古常在者面前，領受權柄、榮耀和國度；這些乃是在祂作為中保之工作的終結時賜給祂的。預言所預告要在 1844 年、2300 日終止之時所發生的，正是這次來臨，而不是祂第二次降臨到地上。在天使的陪同之下，我們偉大的大祭司進入至聖所，在那裏顯現在上帝面前，為人類從事祂聖職服務最後階段的工作——執行查案審判的工作，並為一切顯明有資格得着其恩益的人作贖罪。」《善惡之爭》，479。
The “signs” associated with the history of the Millerites typified the “signs” associated with the history of the one hundred and forty-four thousand. When Christ provided the second witness to the historical narrative with the parable, He pointed His disciples to “the budding trees of spring.” He informed them that when the trees begin to bud out you know you are near the end of the world, and that the generation that witnesses the budding trees of spring will live to see the heavens and the earth pass away, in the fires of His second coming.
與米勒派歷史相關聯嘅「徵兆」，乃係預表與十四萬四千人歷史相關聯嘅「徵兆」。當基督藉着呢個比喻，為呢段歷史敘述提供第二個見證之時，祂將門徒嘅注意指向「春天發芽嘅樹木」。祂告訴佢哋，當樹木開始發芽嘅時候，你哋就知道自己已經接近世界嘅末了；而嗰一代見證春天樹木發芽嘅人，必存留到親眼看見天地喺祂第二次降臨嘅火焰之中廢去。
When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Luke 21:30–33.
如今佢哋一發芽，你哋自己見到，就知道夏天近了。照樣，你哋見到呢啲事發生，就該知道神的國近了。我實在告訴你哋，這一代還沒有過去，這一切都要成就。天地要廢去，我的話卻決不廢去。路加福音 21:30–33。
The question then becomes, “when did the trees begin to shoot forth?” The latter rain began to sprinkle on September 11, 2001, which according to Isaiah is “the day” of God’s “rough wind in the day of the east wind.”
於是，問題就變成：「樹木是從幾時開始發芽的呢？」後雨始於2001年9月11日灑下；按以賽亞書所言，那就是神「在東風的日子以暴風驅逐」的「那日」。
In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up. Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof. When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Isaiah 27:8–13.
你打發它出去嘅時候，必按度量與它爭辯；在東風之日，祂用猛烈嘅風將它止息。所以，雅各嘅罪孽因此得以除淨；除掉佢罪嘅全部果效，就在乎佢使祭壇上一切石頭都好似打碎咗嘅石灰石一樣；木偶同日像都必不再立起。然而，堅固城必變為荒涼，居所必被撇下，丟棄如曠野；牛犢必在那裡食草，也必在那裡躺臥，並吃盡其中嘅枝子。樹枝枯乾嘅時候，必被折斷；婦女要來，點火燒着；因為這係一個毫無悟性嘅百姓；所以，造佢哋嘅必不憐恤佢哋，塑造佢哋嘅也不施恩與佢哋。到那日，耶和華必從大河道直到埃及小河，逐一擊打收集；以色列人哪，你哋必一個一個被聚集。到那日，必有大號角吹響；那些在亞述地將要滅亡嘅人，同在埃及地被趕散嘅人，都必前來，在耶路撒冷嘅聖山上敬拜耶和華。以賽亞書 27:8–13。
The latter rain began to sprinkle (measured) on September 11, 2001, and the debate over the message of the latter rain and the counterfeit peace and safety message began. The history of that debate is where the iniquity of Jacob is removed (purged, meaning atoned for). The history of the debate, which is the debate of Habakkuk, is the period of the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, that concludes with the Laodicean Seventh-day Adventist being spewed out of the mouth of the Lord, for it, as “the defenced city,” shall be desolate, for it had become the city of a people of no understanding, who find no mercy or favor. At that time the “second voice” of Revelation eighteen, will blow a great trumpet, which is the seventh trumpet and the third woe, and God’s other flock shall come and worship at “Jerusalem”, which will have become the movement of the church triumphant.
後雨於2001年9月11日開始灑下（按量而降），而關於後雨信息與那冒牌的「平安穩妥」信息之爭辯亦告開始。那場爭辯的歷史，正是雅各的不義被除掉（被潔淨，意即得贖）的所在。這場爭辯的歷史，就是哈巴谷的爭辯，乃是一十四萬四千人受印的時期；其終局乃是老底嘉的基督復臨安息日會信徒被主從口中吐出去，因為它這「堅固城」必然荒涼；蓋因它已成為毫無悟性之民的城，不蒙憐憫，也不得恩寵。到那時，《啟示錄》第十八章的「第二個聲音」必吹響大號，這號就是第七號，也就是第三樣災禍；上帝另外的羊群便要來到「耶路撒冷」敬拜，而那時「耶路撒冷」已成為凱旋教會的運動。
September 11, 2001, identifies that the last generation of earth’s history has arrived, and only those that recognize the budding trees of spring will receive the rain that is causing the trees to bud. Only those that recognize that Islam of the third woe, is what marks the arrival of the latter rain and the sealing of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, will be among that group.
2001年9月11日表明，地上歷史嘅最後一代已經來到；惟有嗰啲認出春天發芽樹木嘅人，先會領受使樹木發芽嘅雨。惟有嗰啲認出第三樣災禍嘅伊斯蘭，正係標誌住晚雨嘅來到同十四萬四千人受印嘅人，先會列喺嗰一群人當中。
“Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.” Testimonies to Ministers, 507.
「惟有那些按着自己所已有之亮光而生活的人，才會領受更大的亮光。除非我們每日都在積極基督徒美德的彰顯上不斷長進，否則，我們就不能在晚雨中辨認聖靈的顯現。它或者正降在我們四圍眾人的心上，但我們卻不會察覺，也不會領受。」《對傳道人的勉言》，507。
“We must not wait for the latter rain. It is coming upon all who will recognize and appropriate the dew and showers of grace that fall upon us. When we gather up the fragments of light, when we appreciate the sure mercies of God, who loves to have us trust Him, then every promise will be fulfilled. ‘For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations’ (Isaiah 61:11). The whole earth is to be filled with the glory of God.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 7, 984.
「我哋唔可以等候晚雨。凡係願意承認並領受嗰降喺我哋身上、如露水同甘霖一般恩典嘅人，晚雨正要臨到佢哋。當我哋收集零碎嘅亮光，當我哋珍惜上帝確實嘅憐憫——祂喜悅我哋信靠祂——咁每一個應許都必得成就。『因為地點樣使芽發生，園子點樣使所種的發苗；主耶和華亦必照樣使公義同讚美在萬國之前發生。』（以賽亞書 61:11）全地都要充滿上帝嘅榮耀。」《基督復臨安息日會聖經註釋》，第7卷，984。
We will continue the study in the next article.
我哋將會喺下一篇文章繼續呢項研究。
“Unless those who can help in——are aroused to a sense of their duty, they will not recognize the work of God when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord, they will want to bind about His work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.” Testimonies to Ministers, 300.
「除非嗰啲能夠喺——幫助嘅人被喚醒，意識到自己嘅本分，否則當第三位天使大聲呼喊被聽見之時，佢哋就唔會認出上帝嘅工作。當真光發出、照亮全地之時，佢哋非但唔會起來幫助耶和華，反倒想要約束祂嘅工作，使之遷就佢哋狹窄嘅觀念。我要話畀你哋知，主喺呢最後嘅工作中，必會以一種大大超乎通常事物秩序嘅方式行事，並且係以一種同任何人為籌劃相違背嘅方式去行。有啲喺我哋中間嘅人，總係想控制上帝嘅工作，甚至當嗰位與第三位天使一同傳達要賜畀世界之信息嘅天使指引工作向前推進之時，佢哋都想發號施令，規定應當採取乜嘢行動。上帝必使用各種方法同手段，叫人看見係祂親自執掌韁繩。工人們必因祂用嚟成就並完成祂公義之工嘅簡單方法而感到驚訝。」《傳道良助證言》，300頁。