启十二7~9 天上起了争战，米迦勒和他的使者与龙争战，龙和它的使者也争战，并没有得胜，天上再没有他们的地方。大龙就被摔下去，它是那古蛇，名叫魔鬼，又叫撒但，是迷惑普天下的，它被摔在地上……。

　　〔在启示录十二章九节，〕“龙”指明巨大、残忍与杀害；“蛇”是指那一直在欺骗人的狡猾者；“魔鬼”的意思是控告者或毁谤者；撒但是背叛者。

　　这时撒但被摔下去，因为得胜者，就是男孩子，被提到神那里。这里的原则是，男孩子在哪里，哪里就没有仇敌的立场。撒但已经在基督的十字架上受了审判，但这审判需要执行。召会应当完成这审判，但召会失败了，所以得胜者必须起来，站住召会的地位，执行神在撒但身上的判决。……得胜者被提到神的宝座那里时，那里就不再有地方给仇敌。

　　一个寻求的信徒也许对付他的良心，直到良心成为纯洁的良心。然而，当良心成为纯洁的，就很容易软弱。……我们良心软弱的时候，仇敌总是控告我们，使我们一直觉得我们不对。……我们必须借着血的遮盖，站住抵挡仇敌。我们不仅必须宣告，更必须宣扬救赎之血的能力（李文集一九六四年第二册，六七二至六七三页）。

　　Rev. 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels went to war with the dragon. And the dragon warred and his angels. And they did not prevail, neither was their place found any longer in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole inhabited earth; he was cast to the earth...

　　[In Revelation 12:9] dragon indicates greatness, cruelty, and killing; serpent refers to the cunning one who always deceives; devil means accuser, or slanderer; and Satan is the rebellious one.

　　Satan is cast down at this point because the overcomers, the man-child, are caught up to God. The principle here is that where the man-child is, there is no ground for the enemy. Satan has been judged on the cross of Christ, but this judgment needs to be executed. The church should carry out this judgment, but it has failed, so the overcomers must rise up to take the position of the church to execute God’s sentence on Satan…. After the overcomers are raptured and caught up to God’s throne, there will be no more place there for the enemy.

　　A seeking believer may deal with his conscience until it becomes a pure conscience. However, when the conscience becomes pure, it is easy for it to be weak….When [it] is weak, the enemy always accuses us, causing us to constantly feel that we are not right…. [So] we have to stand against the enemy by the covering of the blood. We have to not only claim but proclaim the power of the redeeming blood. (CWWL, 1964, vol. 2, “A General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church, Part 4—Revelation,” pp. 495-496)

　　神所有的子民，在神永远的……目的里，都是有分的；但是，他们没有都负起该负的责任，所以神从他们中间拣选出一班人来。这一班人是许多人中间的一部分，是神拣选出来的，……这就是这个妇人所生的男孩子。

　　〔男孩子的〕被提不光是个人的问题，被提更是为着要了结历世历代以来的那一个争战。……天上一有了争战，米迦勒同他的使者就与龙争战。龙就是那古蛇。它是一条蛇变成一条龙，它的能力越过越大了。但是，男孩子一被提，就不只不让它再大下去，并且要把它从天上摔下去。所以被提是一种工作，使撒但在天上再没有地位了。

　　启示录十二章的男孩子就是站在召会的地位上的得胜者，所以这个男孩子一被提，撒但就从天上被摔下来，国度就来到了。

　　得胜者所以作得胜者，不是为着自己得荣耀，得冠冕，乃是站在召会所当站的地位上，替召会作事情。……召会失败了，……没有站所当站的。唯有一班人……来替召会作那些事情，负那个责任，这一班人就是得胜者。得胜者所作的，就算是全召会所作的。只要有人在那里作得胜者，神就算是已经得着了。这就是男孩子的原则。

　　神的难处因着男孩子的被提就解决了，好像男孩子一出来，神的目的就非得着不可了。这是今天神所呼召、所注意的，神要得着这样的人来达到祂当初的目的（倪柝声文集第二辑第十四册，九○、九二至九三、九五至九六、九八至九九页）。

　　参读：圣洁没有瑕疵，第四章；启示录生命读经，第三十七至三十八篇。

　　All of God’s people have a part in His eternal purpose, but not all assume their rightful responsibility. Therefore, God chooses a group of people from among them. This group is a portion of the whole, a part of the many chosen by God. This is the man-child brought forth by the woman.

　　The rapture of the man-child is not just a matter of some individuals being caught up, but more than that, it is to bring to an end the warfare which has been going on for ages and generations….When this warfare takes place in heaven, Michael and his angels fight against the dragon, who is the old serpent. Formerly he was a serpent, but now he has changed in form to a dragon. He has steadily increased his power. However, once the man-child is caught up, not only is the dragon unable to be enlarged any further, but he is cast down from heaven. The rapture of the man-child is a transaction which causes Satan to have no more position in heaven.

　　The man-child in Revelation 12 consists of the overcomers who stand on behalf of the church. Therefore, as soon as the man-child is caught up, Satan is cast down from heaven and the kingdom comes.

　　The reason for the overcomers to be the overcomers is not to receive glory or crowns for themselves, but simply to take the position which the whole church should take and do the work for the church….The church... has failed... [and] has not gained the ground for God. There is only a group of people left to do that work for the church and to take up the church’s responsibility. This group is the overcomers. What they do is counted as the work of the whole church. If there are those who will be the overcomers, God’s purpose is attained and He is satisfied. This is the principle of the man-child.

　　God’s difficulty is removed by the rapture of the man-child; His problem is solved. It seems that once the man-child is born, God’s purpose can no longer be hindered. This is what God is calling for today; this is what interests Him today. God needs a group of people to attain His original goal. (CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” pp. 75-76, 78, 81, 83-84)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” ch. 4; Life-study of Revelation, msgs. 37-38