#15──天上的神蹟──Heavenly Miracles

English version at the bottom of this page

第二部分：可見的創造系統

一、天堂：第十五章 天上的神蹟

這一章，是我在幾乎整個手稿完成之後加上去的，我這麼做是有原因的。雖然我們可以在聖經宇宙學的範圍內看到許多奇蹟，但沒有一個奇蹟比涉及天上的神蹟那麼神奇。是的，有幾個涉及到大地把人吞沒。「上帝是天地的主」的想法對當今時代的許多人來說，是一種激進的立場。我們可以用地質科學來解釋地震和天坑¹⁸⁸，但除了科學領域之外，沒有辦法證明某些氣象事件的合理性，所以我們必須在這裡討論它們。 ¹⁸⁹

在以西結書38:22中，上帝對歌革的懲罰是極端的，並涵蓋了許多來自天上的徵兆：「我必用瘟疫和流血的事刑罰他．我也必將暴雨、大雹、與火、並硫磺降與他和他的軍隊、並他所率領的眾民。」¹⁹⁰這不是一個正常的氣象事件。上帝的手是針對歌革，儘管祂剛剛使用他們來懲罰以色列，上帝的手貫穿整個舊約。天上神蹟最離奇的例子之一，是發生在約書亞身上。然而，這個故事的某些部分被人們遺忘了，所以我決定在主要故事之前加入一兩節經文，然後在後面加上一節經文。讓我們來看看這一大段的文字：

 「他們在以色列人面前逃跑、正在伯和崙下坡的時候、耶和華從天上降大冰雹在他們身上、〔冰雹原文作石頭〕直降到亞西加、打死他們．被冰雹打死的、比以色列人用刀殺死的還多。當耶和華將亞摩利人交付以色列人的日子、約書亞就禱告耶和華、在以色列人眼前說、日頭阿、你要停在基遍．月亮阿、你要止在亞雅崙谷。於是日頭停留、月亮止住、直等國民向敵人報仇．這事豈不是寫在雅煞珥書上麼．日頭在天當中停住、不急速下落、約有一日之久。 在這日以前、這日以後、耶和華聽人的禱告、沒有像這日的．是因耶和華為以色列爭戰。約書亞和以色列眾人回到吉甲的營中。那五王逃跑、藏在瑪基大洞裡。」¹⁹¹

你在文中注意到了什麼？你知道當時已經在下冰雹了嗎？你有沒有想過要走進約書亞的內心世界？讓我們現在就這麼做，並跟隨他可能與自己進行的對話：

「這是什麼？他們在逃跑，但在我們到達之前，冰雹就已經吞噬了他們！我知道主已應許，這腐敗的血統將全部落入我們的手中，但看啊！太陽快要下山，時間已來不及了！我知道！既然我已經看見主能掌管天，我要吩咐太陽止住！當然，是主命令太陽的！畢竟祂是主啊！」 ¹⁹²

至少在我的腦海裡，約書亞是這樣子對自己說話的。他看到了奇蹟，這使他的信心倍增，相信還有更大的神蹟。太陽確實靜止了，而且根據妥拉 (Torah — 摩西五經)，應該有兩個或更多的見證人來證實這點。因此，雅煞珥書 (The Book of Jasher) 提到這事是存在的。我現在不談我對雅煞珥書的看法，讓我們來看看第22節。這些神蹟不僅加增了約書亞的信心，也使敵人更感恐懼。其餘的諸王不想與天上的神扯上關係，所以他們逃進山洞裡！真的很神奇。他們認為他們可以逃避上帝的審判。

人們對這偉大的事件，還忽略了一點，那就是月亮也沒有移動，它們就這樣待了一整天。如果把基督的復活和創造的頭六天都包括在內的話，這簡直是整本聖經中的十大神蹟之一。我認為它至少超過了埃及的十災。

說到這裡… 讓我們來談談它們。你可以爭辯說，咬人的虱子、青蛙和蝗蟲是一個天上的神蹟。當然，我不會辯論這個。但我想特別關注第七災和第九災。如果你還記得，第七災是一場雹與火攙雜的災。我們知道火從天而降，吞噬了所多瑪和蛾摩拉。這一定是非常相似，只是沒有那麼嚴重。

「耶和華對摩西說、你向天伸杖、使埃及遍地的人身上、和牲畜身上、並田間各樣菜蔬上、都有冰雹。 摩西向天伸杖、耶和華就打雷下雹、有火閃到地上、耶和華下雹在埃及地上。 那時、雹與火攙雜、甚是利害、自從埃及成國以來、遍地沒有這樣的。在埃及遍地、雹擊打了田間所有的人和牲畜、並一切的菜蔬、又打壞田間一切的樹木。惟獨以色列人所住的歌珊地、沒有冰雹。」¹⁹³ 有人提到，打雷通常不會伴隨著冰雹。¹⁹⁴這當然是大神蹟中的一個小奇蹟。即使按照今天的標準，摩西是一位氣象學家，能如此準確地預測這種天氣的模式，這本身已是個奇蹟了。¹⁹⁵

第九災也很有意思。「耶和華對摩西說、你向天伸杖、使埃及地黑暗、這黑暗似乎摸得著。 摩西向天伸杖、埃及遍地就烏黑了三天。 三天之久、人不能相見、誰也不敢起來離開本處、惟有以色列人家中都有亮光。」¹⁹⁶ 最奇怪的奇蹟之一是埃及人似乎無法點燃任何的火… 即使他們點燃了，也無法發出光來。我不知道這是怎麼做得到的…。即使在最黑暗的夜晚，烏雲密佈下，總會有光線穿過地平線透出來。但是對於埃及人來說，這奇蹟將他們所能想像到的光源都拒之門外。

涉及天上的神蹟之多，要花很多、很多年才能一一談論。我們將列出一個小清單來涵蓋剩餘的部分。但在此之前，我想討論一下我最喜歡的一個。我發現討論這個問題很重要，因為根據這是誰說的，在新約的著作中是獨樹一幟的。「當那天晚上、耶穌對門徒說、我們渡到那邊去罷。 門徒離開眾人、耶穌仍在船上、他們就把他一同帶去．也有別的船和他同行。忽然起了暴風、波浪打入船內、甚至船要滿了水。耶穌在船尾上、枕著枕頭睡覺．門徒叫醒了他、說、夫子、我們喪命、你不顧麼。 耶穌醒了．斥責風、向海說、住了罷、靜了罷．風就止住、大大的平靜了。 」¹⁹⁷ 對此，門徒們在第41節中說：「這到底是誰、連風和海也聽從他了。」 ¹⁹⁸

但現在讓我們快速重述其中一些我們沒有時間在本書中提及的天上奇蹟。還記得太陽為約書亞停住嗎？太陽為希西家往後退！¹⁹⁹ 當以色列人在摩西和亞倫的手下，從埃及為奴之地出來時，神為他們在白天移動火柱、晚上移動雲柱。²⁰⁰不僅僅如此，上帝還從天上用嗎哪和鵪鶉餵養他們。²⁰¹ 耶穌不但斥責了雨，以利亞也斥責了，而且三年都沒有下雨！²⁰²後來他禱告，雨就下了。²⁰³雨在幫助以色列人的道路上也起了一定的作用。雨水破壞了吉甲的莊稼。²⁰⁴雷雨趕走了非利士人。²⁰⁵甚至當摩西領受誡命時，在西乃山上有雷聲、閃電、烏雲，甚至還有號角聲。 ^{206, 207}

我確實要將最有名的一個留到最後。從天而降的火。我們已經在所多瑪、蛾摩拉和吉甲看到了冰雹、火和硫磺。但從天而降的火是一種特殊的東西。就像火從亞伯蘭的祭物中經過²⁰⁸、摩西看見的那焚而不毁的荊棘²⁰⁹，但現在我們看到火從天而降，可以做兩件事中的一件：焚燒祭物和消滅邪惡。從天而降的火會殺人。一天之內，以利亞不止一次呼喚火從天上降下來。²¹⁰但上帝所做的最奇妙的作為，就是用天上的火來焚燒獻給自己的祭物。最有名的是，這發生在以利亞身上²¹¹，但也發生在亞倫²¹²、基甸以及²¹³所羅門身上。²¹⁴當雅各和約翰要吩咐火從天上降下來、燒滅撒瑪利亞人時，他們就錯了。 ²¹⁵

因此，上帝是高於所有天上、所有能量及天氣的神。服從祂是應當的，因為是祂創造了它們。

註

¹⁸⁸ 雖然我不確定所有地球上的災難都僅僅是基於科學。撒旦在我們的地球上活得很好，牠來無非要偷竊、殺害、毀壞。

¹⁸⁹ 作者註：我沒有忽視也沒有否定歷史上發生的涉及大地吞沒人或類似性質的事件，我只是暗示其他人可能會這樣做，我只關注天上的神蹟，因為與《聖經》的宇宙學有關。

¹⁹⁰ KJV

¹⁹¹ 約書亞10:11-16 KJV

¹⁹² 這都是猜測；我只是為了講故事而設身處地為他著想。

¹⁹³ 出埃及記 9:22-26

¹⁹⁴ 美國氣象學會來自Changnon，1992年

¹⁹⁵ 另一個舌尖上的幽默的例子。

¹⁹⁶ 出埃及記10:21-23

¹⁹⁷ 馬可福音4:35-39

198 馬可福音4:41

¹⁹⁹ 列王紀下20章，以賽亞書38章──這樣一個偉大的奇蹟也是由兩個證人記錄下來的！

²⁰⁰ 出埃及記 13章

²⁰¹ 出埃及記 16章

²⁰² 列王紀上17章

²⁰³ 列王紀上18章

²⁰⁴ 撒母耳記上12章

²⁰⁵ 撒母耳記上7

²⁰⁶ 出埃及記19章

²⁰⁷ 這將成為一個真正偉大的書名。”西奈半島的小號”。

²⁰⁸ 創世記15

²⁰⁹ 出埃及記3

²¹⁰ 列王紀下1

²¹¹ 列王紀上18章

²¹² 利未記第9章

²¹³ 判決書 6

²¹⁴ 歷代志下7

²¹⁵ 路加福音9:54

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Part Two: The System of Visible Creation

I: Heaven──Chapter 15: Heavenly Miracles

This chapter, I have added after almost the whole of the manuscript was complete, and I did it for a reason. While there were many miracles we could have looked at in the scope of Biblical Cosmology, none were so readily miraculous as those involving the sky. Yes, there were several involving the earth swallowing people up. The idea that “God is the Lord of heaven and earth” is a radical position to many in this modern age. We can explain away earthquakes and sinkholes with geological science,¹ but there is no way to justify certain meteorological events apart from the realm of science, so we must discuss them here.²

In Ezekiel 38:22, God’s punishment of Gog is extreme, and covers many signs from the heavens: “And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”³ This is not a normal meteorological event. God’s hand is against Gog, even though He just used them to punish Israel. God’s hand moves all throughout the Old Testament. One of the most bizarre instances of a heavenly miracle happened to Joshua. There are certain parts of this story that people forget however, so I have decided to include a verse or two before the main story, as well as a verse after. Let us examine the larger text:

“And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.”⁴

What do you notice within the text? Did you know that it was raining hailstones already? Did it occur to you to step within the mind of Joshua? Let us do that now, and follow a dialogue that he may have had with himself.

“What’s this? They are fleeing but the hailstones are devouring them before we can reach them! I know the Lord has promised that this corrupt bloodline would all fall by our hand, but look! The sun is about to set and there will not be enough time! I know! Since I already see the Lord can control the heavens, I will command the sun to not move! Surely the Lord commands the sun! He is the Lord after all!”⁵

At least this is how Joshua appears in my mind to speak to himself. He saw something that was a miracle, and it doubled his faith to believe in a greater miracle. The sun indeed stood still, and, based upon Torah, there should have been two or more witnesses to confirm it. Thus, the mention of the book of Jasher is present. I will not go into my beliefs on Jasher at this moment, so let us look to verse 22. Not only did the miracles increase Joshua’s faith, it increased the enemies fear. The remaining kings wanted nothing to do with the God of the sky, so they hid in caves! Amazing really. They thought they could run from God’s judgement.

Something else people miss about this great event is that the moon also, did not move. And they stayed that way for a whole day. That’s simply one of the top ten greatest miracles in the whole of the Word, if you include Christ’s resurrection, and the first six days of creation. I would rate it over the ten plagues of Egypt, at least.

Speaking of that… Let us talk about them. You can argue that biting lice, frogs, and locusts were a heavenly miracle. Sure. I would not argue that. But I want to focus in on the seventh and ninth plague specifically. If you recall, the seventh plague was a thunderstorm of hail and fire. We know fire came down from heaven and devoured Sodom and Gomorrah. This must have been very similar, but not as severe.

“So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. The hail fell, and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree. The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where

the Israelites lived.”⁶ It has been mentioned that lighting does not usually accompany hail.⁷ This was certainly a minor miracle inside of the larger one. Even if Moses were a meteorologist by today’s standards, the accurate prediction of this weather pattern would also be a miracle in itself.⁸

The ninth plague is also very interesting. “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.”⁹ One of the weirdest miracles to be sure was how the Egyptians couldn’t seem to light any fires… Or if they did, they didn’t emit light. I have no idea how this was made… Even in the darkest of night, with full cloud cover, there is some light that comes through the horizon. But this miracle shut out every source of imaginable light for the Egyptians.

There are so many miracles involving the sky that it would take years and years to talk about them all. We shall make a small list to cover the remainder. But before we do, I would like to discuss my favorite one. I find that it is important to address because it stands alone in the New Covenant writings based upon who said it. “That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the east side.” So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink. Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?” Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.”¹⁰ To which the disciples said in verse 41: “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!”¹¹

But now let us recount quickly some of these heavenly miracles that we have not the time to touch on in this book. Remember the sun standing still for Joshua? The sun moved backwards for Hezekiah!¹² God moved with a pillar of fire by day and a pillar of cloud by night for the Israelites when they came out of the land of bondage from Egypt, under the hand of Moses and Aaron.¹³ Not only this, but God fed them from the sky with Manna and Quail.¹⁴ Not only did Jesus rebuke the rain, but Elijah did as well, and it didn’t rain for three years!¹⁵ Then he prayed and it did rain!¹⁶ Rain had a part in helping the Israelites along the way.

Rain ruined Gilgal’s harvest.¹⁷ Thunderstorms drove away the Philistines.¹⁸ And even when Moses received the commandments, there was thunder, lightning, clouds, and even trumpets on the mountain of Sinai.¹⁹,²⁰

I indeed am saving one of the most well-known for last. Fire from heaven. We have already seen hail and fire and brimstone in Sodom, Gomorrah, and Gilgal. But the fire from heaven is a specific thing. Much like the fire that moved through the sacrifice of Abram²¹, the burning bush that Moses saw²², but now we see fire coming down from heaven to do one of two things. To consume a sacrifice and to destroy evil. Fire from heaven kills.

Elisha called fire down from heaven more than once in one day.²³ But the most wonderful act that God did was to use fire from heaven to consume sacrifices to Himself. Most famously, this happened to Elijah²⁴ but it also happened to Aaron²⁵ and Gideon²⁶ as well as Solomon.²⁷ James and John had it wrong when they asked for fire from heaven to be cast down on the Samaritans.²⁸

So God is god above all the heavens and all energies and weathers. They obey Him, as they should. For it was He who made them.

Footnotes

¹ Though I am not sure that all earthy calamities are science based alone. Satan is alive and well on our earth. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

² Author’s note: I am not ignoring nor dismissing the events that transpired in history involving the earth swallowing people or things of that nature, I am merely suggesting that others may do so and am focusing on heavenly miracles only, as pertaining to Biblical Cosmology.

³ KJV

⁴ Joshua 10:11-16 KJV

⁵ This is all conjecture; I am simply putting myself in his shoes for the purpose of storytelling.

⁶ Exodus 9:22-26, BSB

⁷ American Meteorological Society from Changnon, 1992

⁸ Another instance of tongue-in-cheek humor.

⁹ Exodus 10:21-23 NASB

¹⁰ Mark 4:35-39, CEV

¹¹ CEV

¹² 2 Kings 20, Isaiah 38 – Such a great miracle also is recorded by two witnesses!

¹³ Exodus 13

¹⁴ Exodus 16

¹⁵ 1 Kings 17

¹⁶ 1 Kings 18

¹⁷ 1 Samuel 12

¹⁸ 1 Samuel 7

¹⁹ Exodus 19

²⁰ That would make a really great book title: “Trumpets on Sinai.”

²¹ Genesis 15

²² Exodus 3

²³ 2 Kings 1

²⁴ 1 Kings 18

²⁵ Leviticus 9

²⁶ Judges 6

²⁷ 2 Chronicles 7

²⁸ Luke 9:54

──Biblical Cosmology by Pauly Hart
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Buy the book online: Biblical Cosmology Paperback

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