本日經文提要 (啟示錄 4:1~9:21)
啟4:1此後，我觀看，見天上有門開了，我初次聽見好像吹號的聲音，對我說：你上到這裡來，我要將以後必成的事指示你。
啟4:2我立刻被聖靈感動，見有一個寶座安置在天上，又有一位坐在寶坐上。
啟4:3看那坐著的，好像碧玉和紅寶石，又有虹圍著寶座，好像綠寶石。
啟4:4寶座的周圍，又有二十四個座位，其上坐著二十四位長老，身穿白衣，頭上戴著金冠冕。
啟4:5有閃電，聲音，雷轟，從寶座中發出。又有七盞火燈在寶座前點著，這七燈就是神的七靈。
啟4:6寶座前好像一個玻璃海如同水晶，寶座中，和寶座周圍有四個活物，前後遍體都滿了眼睛。
啟4:7第一個活物像獅子，第二個像牛犢，第三個臉面像人，第四個像飛鷹。
啟4:8四活物各有六個翅膀，遍體內外都滿了眼睛，他們晝夜不住的說：聖哉，聖哉，聖哉，主神，是昔在今在以後永在的全能者。
啟4:9每逢四活物將榮耀，尊貴，感謝，歸給那坐在寶座上，活到永永遠遠者的時候，
啟4:10那二十四位長老，就俯伏在坐寶座的面前，敬拜那活到永永遠遠的，又把他們的冠冕放在寶座前，說：
啟4:11我們的主，我們的神，你是配得榮耀尊貴權柄的，因為你創造了萬物，並且萬物因你的旨意被創造而有的。
啟5:1我看見坐寶座的右手中有書卷，裡外都寫著字，用七印封嚴了。
啟5:2我又看見一位大力的天使，大聲宣傳說：有誰配展開那書卷，揭開那七印呢。
啟5:3在天上，地上，地底下，沒有能展開能觀看那書卷的。
啟5:4因為沒有配展開，配觀看那書卷的，我就大哭。
啟5:5長老中有一位對我說：不要哭，看哪，猶大支派中的獅子，大衛的根，他已得勝，能以展開那書卷，揭開那七印。
啟5:6我又看見寶座與四活物並長老之中，有羔羊站立，像是被殺過的，有七角七眼，就是神的七靈，奉差遣往普天下去的。
啟5:7這羔羊前來，從坐寶座的右手裡拿了書卷。
啟5:8他既拿了書卷，四活物和二十四位長老，就俯伏在羔羊面前，各拿著琴，和盛滿了香的金爐，這香就是眾聖徒的祈禱。
啟5:9他們唱新歌，說：你配拿書卷，配揭開七印，因為你曾被殺，用自己的血從各族各方，各民各國中買了人來，叫他們歸於神，
啟5:10又叫他們成為國民，作祭司，歸於神，在地上執掌王權。
啟5:11我又看見，且聽見，寶座與活物並長老的周圍，有許多天使的聲音，他們的數目有千千萬萬。
啟5:12大聲說：曾被殺的羔羊，是配得權柄，豐富，智慧，能力，尊貴，榮耀，頌讚的。
啟5:13我又聽見，在天上，地上，地底下，滄海裡，和天地間一切所有被造之物，都說：但願頌讚，尊貴，榮耀，權勢，都歸給坐寶座的和羔羊，直到永永遠遠。
啟5:14四活物就說：阿們。眾長老也俯伏敬拜。
啟6:1我看見羔羊揭開七印中第一印的時候，就聽見四活物中的一個活物，聲音如雷，說：你來。
啟6:2我就觀看，見有一匹白馬，騎在馬上的拿著弓，並有冠冕賜給他，他便出來，勝了又要勝。
啟6:3揭開第二印的時候，我聽見第二個活物說：你來。
啟6:4就另有一匹馬出來，是紅的，有權柄給了那騎馬的，可以從地上奪去太平，使人彼此相殺，又有一把大刀賜給他。
啟6:5揭開第三印的時候，我聽見第三個活物說：你來。我就觀看，見有一匹黑馬，騎在馬上的手裡拿著天平。
啟6:6我聽見在四活物中，似乎有聲音說：一錢銀子買一升麥子，一錢銀子買三升大麥，油和酒不可蹧蹋。
啟6:7揭開第四印的時候，我聽見第四個活物說：你來。
啟6:8我就觀看，見有一匹灰色馬，騎在馬上的，名字叫作死，陰府也隨著他，有權柄賜給他們，可以用刀劍，饑荒，瘟疫，〔瘟疫或作死亡〕野獸，殺害地上四分之一的人。
啟6:9揭開第五印的時候，我看見在祭壇底下，有為神的道，並為作見證，被殺之人的靈魂。
啟6:10大聲喊著說：聖潔真實的主阿，你不審判住在地上的人給我們伸流血的冤，要等到幾時呢。
啟6:11於是有白衣賜給他們各人，又有話對他們說：還要安息片時，等著一同作僕人的，和他們的弟兄，也像他們被殺，滿足了數目。
啟6:12揭開第六印的時候，我又看見地大震動，日頭變黑像毛布，滿月變紅像血。
啟6:13天上的星晨墜落於地，如同無花果樹被大風搖動，落下未熟的果子一樣。
啟6:14天就挪移，好像書卷被捲起來，山嶺海島都被挪移離開本位。
啟6:15地上的君王，臣宰，將軍，富戶，壯士，和一切為奴的，自主的，都藏在山洞，和巖石穴裡。
啟6:16向山和巖石說：倒在我們身上罷，把我們藏起來，躲避坐寶座者的面目，和羔羊的忿怒。
啟6:17因為他們忿怒的大日到了，誰能站得住呢。
啟7:1此後我看見四位天使站在地的四角，執掌地上四方的風，叫風不吹在地上，海上，和樹上。
啟7:2我又看見另有一位天使，從日出之地上來，拿著永生神的印，他就向那得著權柄能傷害地和海的四位天使，大聲喊著說：
啟7:3地與海並樹木，你們不可傷害，等我們印了我們神眾僕人的額。
啟7:4我聽見以色列人，各支派中受印的數目，有十四萬四千。
啟7:5猶大支派中受印的有一萬二千，流便支派中有一萬二千，迦得支派中有一萬二千。
啟7:6亞設支派中有一萬二千，拿弗他利支派中有一萬二千，瑪拿西支派中有一萬二千。
啟7:7西緬支派中有一萬二千，利未支派中有一萬二千，以薩迦支派中有一萬二千。
啟7:8西布倫支派中有一萬二千，約瑟支派中有一萬二千，便雅憫支派中受印的有一萬二千。
啟7:9此後，我觀看，見有許多的人，沒有人能數過來，是從各國各族各民各方來的，站在寶座和羔羊面前，身穿白衣，手拿棕樹枝。
啟7:10大聲喊著說：願救恩歸與坐在寶座上我們的神，也歸與羔羊。
啟7:11眾天使都站在寶座和眾長老並四活物的周圍，在寶座前，面伏於地，敬拜神，
啟7:12說：阿們，頌讚，榮耀，智慧，感謝，尊貴，權柄，大力，都歸與我們的神，直到永永遠遠。阿們。
啟7:13長老中有一位問我說：這些穿白衣的是誰，是從那裡來的。
啟7:14我對他說：我主，你知道，他向我說：這些人是從大患難中出來的，曾用羔羊的血，把衣裳洗白淨了。
啟7:15所以他們在神寶座前，晝夜在他殿中事奉他，坐寶座的要用帳幕覆庇他們。
啟7:16他們不再飢，不再渴，日頭和炎熱，也必不傷害他們。
啟7:17因為寶座中的羔羊必牧養他們，領他們到生命水的泉源，神也必擦去他們一切的眼淚。
啟8:1羔羊揭開第七印的時候，天上寂靜約有二刻。
啟8:2我看見那站在神面前的七位天使，有七枝號賜給他們。
啟8:3另有一位天使拿著金香爐，來站在祭壇旁邊，有許多香賜給他，要和眾聖徒的祈禱一同獻在寶座前的金壇上。
啟8:4那香的煙，和眾聖徒的祈禱，從天使的手的中一同升到神面前。
啟8:5天使拿著香爐，盛滿了壇上的火，倒在地上，隨有雷轟，大聲，閃電，地震。
啟8:6拿著七枝號的七位天使，就豫備要吹。
啟8:7第一位天使吹號，就有雹子與火攙著血丟在地上，地的三分之一和樹的三分之一被燒了，一切的青草也被燒了。
啟8:8第二位天使吹號，就有彷彿火燒著的大山扔在海中，海的三分之一變成血。
啟8:9海中的活物死了三分之一，船隻也壞了三分之一。
啟8:10第三位天使吹號，就有燒著的大星，好像火把從天上落下來，落在江河的三分之一，和眾水的泉源上。
啟8:11這星名叫茵蔯，眾水的三分之一變為茵蔯，因水變苦，就死了許多人。
啟8:12第四位天使吹號，日頭的三分之一，月亮的三分之一，星晨的三分之一，都被擊打，以致日月星的三分之一黑暗了，白晝的三分之一沒有光，黑夜也是這樣。
啟8:13我又看見一個鷹飛在空中，並聽見他大聲說：三位天使要吹那其餘的號，你們住在地上的民，禍哉，禍哉，禍哉。
啟9:1第五位天使吹號，我就看見一個星從天落到地上，有無底坑的鑰匙賜給他。
啟9:2他開了無底坑，便有煙從坑裡往上冒，好像大火爐的煙，日頭和天空，都因這煙昏暗了。
啟9:3有蝗蟲從煙中出來飛到地上，有能力賜給他們，好像地上蠍子的能力一樣。
啟9:4並且吩咐他們說：不可傷害地上的草，和各樣青物，並一切樹木，惟獨要傷害額上沒有神印記的人。
啟9:5但不許蝗蟲害死他們，只叫他們受痛苦五個月，這痛苦就像蠍子螫人的痛苦一樣。
啟9:6在那些日子，人要求死，決不得死，願意死，死卻遠避他們。
啟9:7蝗蟲的形狀，好像豫備出戰的馬一樣，頭上戴的好像金冠冕，臉面好像男人的臉面。
啟9:8頭髮像女人的頭髮，牙齒像獅子的牙齒。
啟9:9胸前有甲，好像鐵甲，他們翅膀的聲音，好像許多車馬奔跑上陣的聲音。
啟9:10有尾巴像蠍子，尾巴上的毒鉤能傷人五個月。
啟9:11有無底坑的使者作他們的王，按著希伯來話，名叫亞巴頓，希利尼話，名叫亞玻倫。
啟9:12第一樣災禍過去了，還有兩樣災禍要來。
啟9:13第六位天使吹號，我就聽見有聲音，從神面前金壇的四角出來，
啟9:14吩咐那吹號的第六位天使，說：把那捆綁在伯拉大河的四個使者釋放了。
啟9:15那四個使者就被釋放，他們原是豫備好了，到某年某月某時，要殺人的三分之一。
啟9:16馬軍有二萬萬，他們的數目我聽見了。
啟9:17我在異象中看見那些馬和騎馬的，騎馬的胸前有甲如火，與紫瑪瑙，並硫磺，馬的頭好像獅子頭，有火，有煙，有硫磺，從馬的口中出來。
啟9:18口中所出來的火，與煙，並硫磺，這三樣災殺了人的三分之一。
啟9:19這馬的能力，是在口裡，和尾巴上，因這尾巴像蛇，並且有頭用以害人。
啟9:20其餘未曾被這些災所殺的人，仍舊不悔改自己手所作的，還是去拜鬼魔，和那些不能看，不能聽，不能走，金，銀，銅，木，石，的偶像。
啟9:21又不悔改他們那些凶殺，邪術，姦淫，偷竊的事。
Dex ,2019-The Journey of Grace (336/365) Rev 4:1~9:21
Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Revelation 5
The Scroll and the Lamb
5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign[b] on the earth.”
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 6
The Seals
6 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d] and do not damage the oil and the wine!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Revelation 7
144,000 Sealed
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b]
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”
Revelation 8
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
8 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”
Revelation 9
9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.
17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
.jpg)
.jpg)
