序言
§1
序言PREFACE
§2
本书第一卷和第二卷已经发表。本卷继续前两卷的重要主题。基督与撒但之间的大斗争将随着基督的降临，死人的复活，撒但和罪恶被消灭，以及基督在新天新地的荣耀统治而结束。迄今每一卷都比前一卷更有教育意义，也更有趣味。根据基督和上帝之国将要在新地上圆满建立的鼓舞人心的主题，第四卷将远胜前三卷。[1]
§3
VOLUMES ONE AND TWO OF THIS WORK ARE BEFORE THE PUBLIC. THIS VOLUME IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE SAME IMPORTANT THEME. THE SUBJECT OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN WILL CLOSE WITH THE COMING OF CHRIST, THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, THE DESTRUCTION OF SATAN AND OF SIN, AND THE GLORIOUS REIGN OF CHRIST ON THE NEW EARTH. EACH VOLUME UP TO THE PRESENT HAS BEEN MORE INSTRUCTIVE AND INTERESTING THAN THE ONE THAT PRECEDED IT, AND, JUDGING FROM THE TRIUMPHANT THEME OF THE CONSUMMATION WHEN THE GLORIOUS KINGDOM OF CHRIST AND OF GOD SHALL BE ESTABLISHED ON THE NEW EARTH, THE FOURTH VOLUME WILL FAR EXCEED EITHER OF THE FIRST THREE.[1]
§4
本卷郑重地奉献于上帝的圣工。作者和出版者恳切祈祷它能成为上帝的圣工和子民的一大福气，并成为祂手中的工具，开许多人的眼睛，使他们看到上帝之灵的事。[2]
§5
THIS VOLUME IS SOLEMNLY DEDICATED TO THE CAUSE OF GOD, WITH THE FERVENT PRAYER OF AUTHOR AND PUBLISHERS THAT IT MAY PROVE A GREAT BLESSING TO THE CAUSE AND PEOPLE OF GOD, AND BE THE MEANS IN HIS HANDS OF OPENING THE EYES OF MANY WHO ARE BLIND TO THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD.[2]
§6
出版者[3]PUBLISHERS.[3]【说明】
§7
在设定《预言之灵》丛书的篇幅时，原计划每卷书约有四百多页，且有一卷专门阐述旧约史，一卷阐述新约史，第三卷阐述宗教改革史中进行的大斗争。《预言之灵》卷一成功地阐述了旧约史。但怀夫人发现在四百页的书中不可能讲完基督的生平，所以卷二结束于基督胜利地进入耶路撒冷，将基督生平最后的几幕场景和使徒们的工作留给第三卷。此时又发现四百页的篇幅不足以容纳那么多的内容，所以卷三截止于392页，《在帖撒罗尼迦遭遇反对》那一章。[4]
§8
【A WORD OF EXPLANATION】
§9
WHEN PLANS WERE LAID FOR THE VOLUMES OF THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY SERIES IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THE BOOKS SHOULD CONTAIN APPROXIMATELY FOUR HUNDRED PAGES AND THAT ONE VOLUME COULD BE DEVOTED TO OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY, ONE TO NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY, AND A THIRD COMPLETING THE CONTROVERSY STORY BY CARRYING THROUGH REFORMATION HISTORY TO THE END OF THE CONTROVERSY. THE PLANS FOR THE OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY WERE SUCCESSFULLY MET IN SPIRIT OF PROPHECY, VOLUME I. BUT MRS. WHITE FOUND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD EVEN THE LIFE OF CHRIST TO THE ONE FOUR-HUNDRED-PAGE BOOK, SO VOLUME II CLOSES WITH CHRISTS TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM, LEAVING THE FINAL SCENES OF CHRISTS LIFE AND THE WORK OF THE APOSTLES FOR VOLUME III. HERE, TOO, THERE PROVED TO BE MORE MATERIAL THAN COULD BE INCLUDED IN A FOUR-HUNDRED-PAGE BOOK, SO IT CUT OFF AT PAGE 392 WITH THE CHAPTER OPPOSITION AT THESSALONICA.[4]
§10
怀夫人有意在卷四开篇继续描述使徒们的生活和工作的最后场面。然而，当她准备发表卷四时，在异象中得到指示，这卷书的开篇应当叙述耶路撒冷遭毁灭。这么做的原因不久就显明了，因为卷四成了我们的书报员们提早销售的一本书。这样的一本书开篇就论述保罗和彼得传道工作结束的年月是不合适的。[5]
§11
IT HAD BEEN MRS. WHITES INTENT TO PICK UP THE CLOSING SCENES OF THE LIVES AND WORK OF THE APOSTLES IN THE EARLY CHAPTERS OF VOLUME4. HOWEVER, AS SHE MOVED TOWARD PUBLICATION SHE WAS INSTRUCTED IN VISION THAT THIS VOLUME SHOULD OPEN WITH THE ACCOUNT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. THE REASON FOR THIS SOON BECAME APPARENT, AS VOLUME4 EARLY BECAME A WORK SOLD BY OUR COLPORTEURS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWKWARD TO HAVE SUCH A BOOK OPEN WITH THE CLOSING YEARS OF THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND PETER.[5]
§12
这种计划的改变使读者看到的内容有中断，也使怀夫人有几章的内容未使用。所以在卷三第二次印刷时，便在结尾加上了这几章。结果就有两个版本，一个是392页的，另一个是442页的。[6]
§13
THIS CHANGE IN PLAN LEFT THE READERS WITH A BREAK IN THE STORY AND MRS. WHITE WITH SEVERAL UNUSED CHAPTERS. IN THE NEXT PRINTING OF VOLUME III THESE WERE ADDED AT THE CLOSE. CONSEQUENTLY THERE ARE TWO PRINTINGS, ONE WITH 392 PAGES AND THE OTHER WITH 442.[6]
§14
因为第一次印刷的卷三页面已满，第二次印刷时便没有改变目录，所增加的几章是：[7]
§15
SINCE PAGE VIII OF THE FIRST PRINTING WAS FULL, THE TABLE OF CONTENTS WAS NOT CHANGED IN THE SECOND PRINTING. AS WILL BE OBSERVED, THE ADDED CHAPTERS ARE:[7]
§16
第32章 保罗在庇哩亚与雅典[8]
§17
CHAPTER 32 PAUL AT BEREA AND ATHENS[8]
§18
第33章 保罗在哥林多[9]
§19
CHAPTER 33 PAUL AT CORINTH[9]
§20
第34章 保罗在以弗所[10]
§21
CHAPTER 34 PAUL AT EPHESUS[10]
§22
第35章 保罗的试炼与胜利[11]
§23
CHAPTER 35 TRIALS AND VICTORIES OF PAUL[11]
§24
第36章 保罗与彼得殉道[12]
§25
CHAPTER 36 MARTYRDOM OF PAUL AND PETER[12]
§26
——怀爱伦著作托管委员会[13]
§27
--WHITE TRUSTEES[13]