圣约神学中的时代论解经
一般持圣约神学立场的基督徒因为不了解自身立场，又因为自身神学过分夸大圣约神学与
时代论间的差距，所以普遍会否定圣约神学与时代论在解经上有任何的重叠。特别是时代
论被圣约神学批判为【字义解经】。
以下是加尔文但以理书释义上中的摘录，大家可以参考。不过因为时间精力关系，这里纯
粹是摘录，我就不做任何翻译，只做总结。（毕竟，加尔文是改革宗的祖宗，应该是改革
宗的责任去熟读并介绍自己祖宗的东西。不是吗？:)）
Daniel 2:36-38
Daniel here declares “the golden head of the image“ to be the Babylonian
kingdom. We know that the Assyrians were subdued before the monarchy was
transferred to Babylon; but since they did not prevail sufficiently to be
considered as supreme rulers in that eastern territory, the Babylonian empire
is here mentioned first.
Daniel 2:39
In this verse Daniel embraces the Second and Third Monarchies. He says the
second should be inferior to the Chaldean in neither power nor wealth; for
the Chaldean empire, although it spread so far and so wide, was added to that
of the Medes and Persians. Cyrus subdued the Medes first; and although he
made his father-in-law, Cyaxares, his ally in the sovereignty, yet he had
expelled his maternal grandfather, and thus obtained peaceable possession of
the kingdom throughout all Media. Then he afterwards conquered the Chaldeans
and Assyrians, as well as the Lydians and the rest of the nations of Asia
Minor.
The description of the Third Monarchy now follows. It is called brazen, not
so much from its hardness as from its being worse than the second. The
Prophet teaches how the difference between the second and third monarchies is
similar to that between silver and brass. The rabbis confound the two
monarchies, through their desire to comprehend under the second what they
call the kingdom of the Greeks; but they display the grossest ignorance and
dishonesty....For instead of Alexander the son of Philip, they put Alexander
the son of Mammea, who possessed the Roman empire, when half its provinces
had been already separated from it.
Daniel 2:40-43
Here the Fourth Empire is described, which agrees only with the Roman,but
Macedonia was reduced to a province when Perseus was overcome and captured.
The kings of Syria and Asia suffered in the same way; and, lastly, Egypt was
seized upon by Augustus. For their posterity had reigned up to that period,
and Cleopatra was the last of that race, as is sufficiently known. When,
therefore, the three monarchies were absorbed by the Romans, the language of
the Prophet suits them well enough; for, as the sword diminishes, and
destroys, and ruins all things, thus those three monarchies were bruised and
broken up by the Roman empire.
The kingdom, therefore, shall be divided, and he adds yet another mixture, —
they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men, that is., they shall be
neighbors to others, and that mutual interchange which ought to promote true
friendship, shall become utterly profitless. The opinion of those who
introduce the alliance of Pompey and Caesar is farfetched, for the Prophet
is speaking of a continued government.
We may now inquire why Daniel said, The stone which was to be cut out of the
mountain should destroy all these empires; since it does not appear, at first
sight, to suit the kingdom of Christ..... The Kingdom or Christ is said to
break up all the empires of the world, not directly, but only accidentally,
as the phrase is. For Daniel here assumes a principle, sufficiently
understood by the Jews; namely, those monarchies were opposed to Christ’s;
kingdom.
简单的说，加尔文认为但以理二章中的大金人，其金头为巴比伦帝国，银胸是波斯-米甸
帝国，铜腰是马其顿帝国-亚历山大，而铁的下半身是罗马帝国。最后那块大石头是基督
的国。唯一跟时代论解释不同的地方在于两条铁腿。加尔文讲的比较含糊，仅仅说是凯撒
和庞贝。时代论则明确的指出，这是东西罗马帝国分裂后，世界往往分裂成两个相互对抗
政治集团的常态。
以下是地方召会《但以理书生命读经》第四章中的总论：
圣经启示，但以理二章尼布甲尼撒所看见的人像，实际上不是开始于尼布甲尼撒，而是开
始于建立巴别城的宁录。（创十9～10。）宁录建造巴别，这乃是巴比伦的开始。然后，
巴比伦延续经过玛代波斯帝国、希腊帝国和罗马帝国，至终要包括罗马帝国最后一位该撒
，敌基督，同其十王，就是大像的脚指头所表征的。（但二41～44。）启示录告诉我们，
在最后一位该撒敌基督的治理下，罗马帝国要成为政治的和宗教的巴比伦。启示录十八章
说到敌基督的帝国是政治和物质的巴比伦，就是‘大巴比伦。’（2。）不仅如此，藉著
康士坦丁大帝把基督教接纳为国教，基督教的性质就改变为天主教，就是启示录十七章所
称的‘奥秘哉！大巴比伦。’（5。）这是宗教的巴比伦。所以，我们从圣经看见，不仅
巴比伦本身是巴比伦，罗马帝国也是巴比伦。
两者（加尔文和弟兄会）间的不同可以用两者间有300年的历史。这300年世界局势的变化
会对这段圣经的诠释产生进一步的变化。而从时间先后顺序来看，时代论对于圣经预言的
解释明显的是继承自加尔文，而加以进一步的细化，这是无可否认的。
另一个完全重叠的地方是但以理书四兽的解释。
所以，有时候圣约神学可以将双方的差距无限放大，实在是一件很奇怪的事。反而，因为
双方具有如此巨大的重叠性，更应当彼此对话才对。
最后,抛一个问题:加尔文这个解经,是不是[灵义解经]呢?:p