78 英翻中 (啟示錄 6-7) The seals and the sealed 印和密封的印 6/5/2025
CHAPTER FIVE THE SEALS AND THE SEALED Revelation 6—7 第五課 印和密封的印 啟示錄 6-7
The
worship described in Revelation 4—5 is preparation for the wrath described in
Revelation 6—19. It seems strange to us that worship and judgment should go
together, but this is because we do not fully understand either the holiness of
God or the sinfulness of man. Nor do we grasp the total picture of what God
wants to accomplish and how the forces of evil have opposed Him. God is
longsuffering, but eventually He must judge sin and vindicate His servants. 啟示錄 4 - 5 兩章描述的敬拜是為啟示錄 6 - 19 等章描述的憤怒做準備。敬拜與審判並存，對我們來說似乎有些奇怪，是因為我們既不完全理解上帝的聖潔，也不完全理解人的罪惡。我們也不了解上帝想要完成的事，以及邪惡勢力如何反對祂的全貌。上帝是滿有忍耐的上帝，但最終祂必須審判罪，並為祂的僕人伸冤。
According to Daniel 9:27, seven years are assigned to Israel in God’s prophetic calendar, beginning with the signing of an agreement with the world dictator (the Antichrist), and ending with Christ’s return to earth to judge evil and establish His kingdom. It is this period that is described in Revelation 6—19. By refer[1]ring to John’s outline (Rev. 1), you will see that his description is in three parts: the first three and a half years (Rev. 6—9), the events at the middle of the period (Rev. 10—14), and the last three and a half years (Rev. 15—19). 根據但以理書 9章27節，在上帝的預言日曆中，祂預定給七年時間與以色列，讓她與世界獨裁者（敵基督）簽署協議開始，到基督再來世上審判邪惡，並建立祂的國度結束。啟示錄 6-19 等章描述的正是這個時期。通過參考約翰所寫的大綱（啟示錄 第1章），你會看到他的描述分為三個部分：頭三年半（啟示錄 6—9等章），在該期間中的事件（啟示錄 10 —14等章）和過去三年半（啟示錄 15—19等章）。
What is
so significant about the middle of the tribulation? That is when the Antichrist
breaks his covenant with
As you
study these fourteen action-filled chapters, keep in mind that John wrote to
encourage God’s people in every age of history. He was not only writing
prophecy that would be fulfilled in the end times, but he was also writing
great theology and dramatically revealing the character of God and the
principles of His kingdom. These chapters describe the cosmic conflict between
God and Satan, the New Jerusalem and
Since
the church never knows when Christ will return, each generation must live in
expectancy of His coming. Therefore the book of Revelation must be able to
communicate truth to each generation, not just to the people who will be alive
when these events occur. Verses like Revelation 13:9; 16:15; and 22:7, 18–20
all indicate the timelessness of John’s message. This also explains why the
apostle used so much symbolism, for symbols never lose their meaning. In every
era of its history, the church has had to contend with
In
Revelation 6—7, John characterized the opening days of the tribulation as a
time of retribution, response, and redemption. 在啟示錄 6—7 等章中，約翰將大災難開始的日子描述為懲罰、回應和救贖的時期。
Retribution
(6:1–8) 懲罰（6:1-8）
In this
section, John recorded the opening of the first four seals, and as each seal
was opened, one of the four living creatures summoned a rider on a horse.
(“Come and see” should read, “Come!”) In other words, events take place on
earth because of the sovereign direction of God in heaven. 在這段章節中，約翰記錄了前四個印的打開，隨著每個印的揭開，都召喚四個活物中的一個騎在馬上。 （“來看”應該讀作“來！”）換句話說，世上發生的事件是因為上帝在天上的主權指示。
The
horse imagery is probably related to the vision described in Zechariah 1:7–17.
Horses represent God’s activity on earth, the forces He uses to accomplish His
divine purposes. The center of His program is Israel, particularly the city of
Jerusalem. (
Now,
let’s try to identify these horses and their riders. 讓我們現在來嘗試判定這些馬和他們的騎手。
Antichrist
(vv. 1–2). Daniel states that there is a “prince that shall come,” who will
make a covenant with Israel to protect her from her enemies (Dan. 9:26–27). In
other words, the future world dictator begins his career as a peacemaker! He
will go from victory to victory and finally control the whole world. 敵基督（1-2 兩節）。但以理說，有一位“將要來的王子”，要與以色列立約，保護她免受敵人的傷害（但以理 9:26-27）。換句話說，未來的世界獨裁者，將開始他作為和平締造者的職業生涯！ 他將一再勝利，最終控制整個世界。
Some
have suggested that the rider on the white horse is actually a symbol of the
“conquering Christ” who today is defeating the forces of evil in the world.
They point to Revelation 19:11 as proof, but the only similarity is the
presence of a white horse. If this rider is indeed Jesus Christ, it seems
strange that He should be named at the end of the book and not at the
beginning! 有人認為，騎白馬的人實際上是“征服者基督”的象徵，他今天正在戰勝世界上的邪惡勢力。他們指出啟示錄 19章11節 作為證據，但唯一的相似之處是白馬的存在。如果這個騎手確實是耶穌基督，那麼他的名字應該在書的結尾而不是開頭，這似乎很奇怪！
We
would expect the Antichrist to resemble the Christ, because Antichrist is
Satan’s great imitation! Even the Jews (who ought to know the Scriptures) will
be deceived by him (John 5:43; 2 Thess. 2:1–12). This great deceiver will come
as a peaceful leader, holding a bow but no arrows! (Our Lord’s weapon is a
sword; Rev. 19:15.) Antichrist will solve the world’s problems and be received
as the Great Liberator. 我們希望敵基督與基督相似，因為敵基督是撒旦的偉大模仿者！甚至猶太人（他們應該知道聖經）也會被他欺騙（約翰福音 5:43；帖撒羅尼迦後書 2:1-12）。這個大騙子將作為和平的領導者，拿著弓而不是劍！ （我們主的武器是劍；啟示錄 19:15。）敵基督將解決世界的問題，並被接納為偉大的解放者。
The
word for crown in Revelation 6:2 is Stephanas, which means “the victor’s
crown.” The crown that Jesus Christ wears is diadema, “the kingly crown” (Rev.
19:12). Antichrist could never wear the diadem, because it belongs only to the
Son of God. 啟示錄 6章2節 中的冠冕一詞，是“勝利者的冠冕(Stephanas)”的意思。耶穌基督所戴的冠冕是“君王的冠冕(diadema)”（啟示錄 19:12）。敵基督永遠不能戴上王冠，因為它只屬於上帝的兒子。
Certainly,
there is a sense in which Jesus Christ is conquering today, as He releases
people from the bondage of sin and Satan (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). But this
conquest began with His victory on the cross and certainly did not have to wait
for the opening of a seal! We shall note later that the sequence of events in
Revelation 6 closely parallels the sequence given by our Lord in His Olivet
discourse, and the first item mentioned is the appearance of false Christs
(Matt. 24:5). 毫無疑問，因為當耶穌基督將人從罪和撒旦的束縛中釋放出來時，今天祂在某種意義上正要征服（使徒行傳 26:18；歌羅西 1:13）。但這次征服是從祂在十字架上的勝利開始的，當然不必等到封印的揭開！我們稍後會注意到，啟示錄 第6 章中的事件，順序與我們的主在祂的橄欖樹講道中給出的順序非常相似，其中提到的第一項是假基督的出現（馬太福音 24:5）。
War
(vv. 3–4). Antichrist’s conquest begins in peace, but soon he exchanges the empty
bow for a sword. The color red is often associated with terror and death: the
red dragon (Rev. 12:3), the red beast (Rev. 17:3). It is a picture of wanton
bloodshed. War has been a part of man’s experience since Cain killed Abel, so
this image would speak to believers in every age, reminding them that God is
ultimately in control, even though He is not responsible for the lawless deeds
of men and nations. 戰爭（3-4 等節）。敵基督的征服是在和平中開始的，但很快他就把空弓換了劍。紅色通常與恐怖和死亡聯繫在一起：紅龍（啟 12:3）、紅色野獸（啟 17:3）。這是一幅肆意流血的畫面。自從該隱殺死亞伯以來，戰爭一直是人類經歷的一部分，所以這個形象會向各個時代的信徒說話，提醒他們上帝最終掌權，儘管祂不對人和國家的不法行為負責。
Famine
(vv. 5–6). The color black is often connected with famine (Jer. 14:1–2;
Lam.
However,
during the tribulation, a man will have to work all day just to secure food for
himself! There will be nothing for his family! At the same time, the rich will
be enjoying plenty of oil and wine. No wonder Antichrist will eventually be
able to control the economy (Rev. 13:17) as he promises to feed the hungry
masses. 誠然，在大災難期間，人必須整天工作，以確保自己有足夠的食物！他的家人將沒有食物！與此同時，富人將享用大量的油和酒。難怪敵基督最終將能夠控制經濟（啟示錄 13:17），因為他承諾餵飽飢餓的群眾。
Death
(vv. 7–8). John saw two personages: Death riding a pale horse and hades (the
realm of the dead) following him. Christ has the keys of death and hades (Rev.
1:18), and both will one day be cast into hell (Rev. 20:14). Death claims the
body while hades claims the soul of the dead (Rev. 20:13). John saw these
enemies going forth to claim their prey, armed with weapons of the sword,
hunger, pestilence (death), and wild beasts. In ancient times, hunger,
pestilence, and the ravages of beasts would be expected to accompany war (note
also Jer. 15:2; 24:10; Ezek.
Conquering
tyrants who bring the world war, famine, and pestilence are certainly nothing
new. Suffering people from the days of the
Response
(6:9–17) 回應（6:9-17）
John
recorded two responses to the opening of the seals, one in heaven and the other
on earth. 當打開封印時，約翰記錄它的兩種反應，一是在天上，另一是在地上。
The
martyrs (vv. 9–11). When the Old Testament priest presented an animal
sacrifice, the victim’s blood was poured out at the base of the brazen altar
(Lev. 4:7, 18, 25, 30). In Old Testament imagery, blood represents life (Lev.
The
Greek word martus, which gives us our English word martyr, simply means “a
witness” (see Rev. 2:13; 17:6). These saints were slain by the enemy because of
their witness to the truth of God and the message of Jesus Christ. The forces
of Antichrist do not accept the truth, because Satan wants them to be deceived
and accept his lies (see Rev. 19:20;
Since
their murderers are still alive on earth, these martyrs are apparently from the
early part of the tribulation. But they represent all who have laid down their
lives for Jesus Christ and the cause of God’s truth, and they are an
encouragement to all today who may be called to follow them. They assure us
that the souls of the martyrs are in heaven, awaiting the resurrection (Rev.
20:4), and that they are at rest, robed in heavenly glory. 由於殺害他們的兇手仍活在世上，這些烈士顯然是來自災難的早期。但他們代表了所有為耶穌基督和上帝的真理事業獻出生命的人，他們鼓勵今天所有可能被召喚跟隨他們的人。他們向我們保證，殉道者的靈魂在天堂，等待復活（啟示錄 20:4），他們安息，身披天國榮耀的長袍。
But is
it “Christian” for these martyred saints to pray for vengeance on their
murderers? After all, both Jesus and Stephen prayed that God would forgive
those who killed them. I have no doubt that, when they were slain on earth,
these martyrs also prayed for their slayers, and this is the right thing to do
(Matt.
The
great question, however, was not whether their enemies would be judged, but
when. “How long, O Lord?” has been the cry of God’s suffering people throughout
the ages (see Ps. 74:9–10; 79:5; 94:3–4; also Hab. 1:2). The saints in heaven
know that God will eventually judge sin and establish righteousness in the
earth, but they do not know God’s exact schedule. It is not personal revenge
that they seek, but vindication of God’s holiness and the establishment of
God’s justice. Every believer today who sincerely prays, “Thy kingdom come!” is
echoing their petition. 然而，最大的問題不是他們的敵人是否會受到審判，而是在何時。 “要多久，主啊？”歷代以來這一直是上帝受苦子民的呼聲（見 詩篇 74：9-10；79：5；94：3-4；還有
哈巴谷 1：2）。天上的聖徒知道上帝最終會審判罪，在地上建立公義，但他們不知道祂的確切時間表。他們尋求的不是個人報復，而是為上帝的聖潔辯護，和建立上帝的公義。今天每一個信徒都真誠的禱告，“願祢的國降臨！”正是他們的請願呼救的回音。
God
made clear to these martyrs that their sacrifice was an appointment, not an
accident, and that others would join them. Even in the death of His people, God
is in control (Ps. 116:15); so there is nothing to fear. 上帝向這些殉道者明確表示，他們的殉道是約定的時間，而不是偶然，其他人會加入他們的行列。即使在祂子民的死亡中，上帝也掌權（詩篇 116:15）；所以沒有什麼好害怕的。
Many
others would be slain for their faith before the Lord would return and
establish His kingdom (see Rev. 11:7;
The
earth-dwellers (vv. 12–17). The martyrs cried, “Avenge us!” but the unbelievers
on earth will cry, “Hide us!” The opening of the sixth seal will produce
worldwide convulsions and catastrophes, including the first of three great
earthquakes (Rev. 6:12;
Even
though John wrote using symbolic language, these verses describe a scene that
would frighten even the most courageous person. People will try to hide from
the face of God and from the face of the Lamb! Imagine wanting to hide from a
lamb! I once heard Dr. Vance Havner say that the day would come when the most
expensive piece of real estate would be a hole in the ground, and he was right. 儘管約翰用象徵性的語言寫作，但這些經文描述的場景，即使是最勇敢的人也會害怕。人們會試圖躲避上帝的面和羔羊的面！試思想缺乏要躲避羔羊的方法！我曾經聽溫司 . 哈勒爾 (Vance Havner) 博士說過，有一天，最昂貴的房地產將是地洞，他是對的。
Rank
and wealth will not deliver anyone in that terrible day. John’s list included
kings, captains, and slaves, the rich and the poor. “Who shall be able to
stand?” 在那個可怕的日子裡，地位和財富不會拯救任何人。約翰的名單包括國王、船長和奴隸，富人和窮人。 “誰能站立得住？”
The
phrase “wrath of the Lamb” seems a paradox. “Wrath of the lion” would be more
consistent. We are so accustomed to emphasizing the meekness and gentleness of
Christ (Matt.
Furthermore,
the people mentioned here are impenitent. They refuse to submit to God’s will.
They would rather hide from God in fear (remember Adam and Eve?) than run to
Him in faith. They are proof that judgment by itself does not change the human
heart. Not only will men seek to hide from God, but they will blaspheme Him as
well (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21)! 此外，這裡提到的人是不悔改的。他們拒絕順服上帝的旨意。他們寧願在恐懼中躲避上帝（還記得亞當和夏娃嗎？）而不是在信仰中奔向祂。它們證明審判本身不會改變人心。人們不僅會尋求躲避上帝，還會褻瀆上帝（啟示錄 16:9,11,21）！
But is
there any hope for believers during this terrible time of judgment? And what
about God’s special people, the Jews, who made a covenant with the Antichrist?
Certainly people will trust the Lord even after the church is taken to heaven,
but how will they manage? We turn to Revelation 7 for some of the answers. 但是，在這個可怕的審判時期，信徒還有希望嗎？那麼與敵基督立約的上帝的特殊子民，猶太人又怎麼樣呢？ 誠然，甚至教會被帶到天上，人當然會信主，但他們怎麼去做呢？我們轉向啟示錄第 7 章尋找一些答案。
But
before considering John’s third theme in this section—redemption—we must note
the parallels that exist between Christ’s prophetic words recorded in Matthew
24 and what John wrote in Revelation 6. The following summary outline makes
this clear. 但在考慮約翰在本節中的第三個主題 — 救贖之前，我們必須注意在馬太福音 24 章中記載的基督的預言性話語與約翰在啟示錄 6 章中所寫的內容之間存在的相似之處。以下概要說明了這一點。
Matthew 24 Revelation 6 馬太福音 24 啟示錄 6
False Christs (vv.
4–5) White horse rider
(vv. 1–2)
Wars (v. 6) Red horse—war (vv. 3–4) 戰爭（第 6 節） 紅馬 — 戰爭（第 3-4 節）
Famines (v. 7a) Black horse—famine
(vv. 5–6)
Martyrs (v. 9) Martyrs under the altar (vv. 9–11) 殉道者 (v. 9) 祭壇下的殉道者 (vv. 9-11)
Worldwide chaos (vv. 10–13) Worldwide chaos (vv. 12–17)
世界混亂 (vv. 10-13) 世界混亂 (vv. 12-17)
Matthew 24:14 introduces the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole world, and this may well be where Revelation 7 fits in. God may use the sealed 144,000 Jews to share His Word with the world, resulting in the salvation of multitudes. 馬太福音 24 章 14 節宣告這天國的福音要傳遍全世界，這很可能是啟示錄 7 章的切入點。上帝可能會使用 144,000 名印證的猶太人與全世界分享祂的話語，從而拯救眾人。
We will
see more of “the wrath of God” as we progress through Revelation (Rev. 11:18;
Redemption
(7:1–17) 救贖（7:1-17）
It is
important that we contrast the two groups of people described in this chapter. 重要的是我們對比本章描述的兩類人。
7 : 1- 8 7 : 9 – 17
Jews Gentiles from all nations 來自各國的猶太人 來自各國的外邦
Numbered
– 144,000 Not numbered, nor
could be
Sealed on earth Standing in heaven before God 在地上加上聖靈的印記 站在天堂上帝面前
While
we are not told explicitly in Scripture that the 144,000 Jews are God’s special
witnesses, and that the Gentile host is saved through their ministry, this
appears to be a logical deduction; otherwise, why are they associated in this
chapter? The parallel with Matthew 24:14 also indicates that the 144,000 will
witness for the Lord during the tribulation. 雖然聖經沒有明確告訴 144,000 名猶太人，是上帝的特別見證人，外邦人通過他們的事工得救，但這似乎是合乎邏輯的推論；否則，為什麼它們會出顯在本章中，並與其有關聯？與馬太福音 24 章 14 節有相似之處，也表明 144,000 人將在大災難中為主作見証。
The
sealed Jews (vv. 1–8). Angels are associated with the forces of nature: the
wind (Rev. 7:1), fire (Rev. 14:18), and water (Rev. 16:5). Stopping the winds
implies a “lull before the storm.” God controls all of nature. During the day
of His wrath, He will use the forces of nature to judge mankind. The phrase
“four corners of the earth” is no more “unscientific” here than it is in Isaiah
In
Scripture, a seal indicates ownership and protection. Today, God’s people are
sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph.
This
seal will protect these chosen Jews from the judgments that will “hurt the
earth and the sea” (Rev. 7:2), and occur when the first four angels blow their
trumpets (Rev. 8). The judgments are intensified when the horrible locusts are
released from the pit (Rev. 9:1–4). Protected from these awesome judgments, the
144,000 will be able to do their work and glorify the Lord. 這印記將保護被選中的猶太人免受，在前四位天使吹號時發生的，“地球和海洋傷害”（啟示錄 7:2）的審判（啟示錄 第8章）。當可怕的蝗蟲從坑中釋放出來時，審判會更加劇烈（啟示錄 9:1-4）。免受這些可怕的審判，144,000 人將能夠完成他們的工作並榮耀主。
In
every age, God has had His faithful remnant. Elijah thought he was alone, but
God had 7,000 who were yet faithful to Him (1 Kings
The
number 144,000 is significant because it signifies perfection and completeness
(144 = 12 x 12). Some see here the completeness of all God’s people: the twelve
tribes of
A man
once told me he was one of the 144,000; so I asked him, “To which tribe do you
belong, and can you prove it?” Of course, he could not prove it, no more than a
Jew today can prove the tribe from which he or she descended. The genealogical
records have all been destroyed. Even the fact that ten of the tribes were
taken by the Assyrians and “lost” is no problem to God. He knows His people and
their whereabouts (see Matt.
This is
not to say that our literal interpretation of this passage is not without
problems. Why is Levi included when it had no inheritance with the other tribes
(Num.
The saved Gentiles (vv. 9–17). You cannot read the book of
Revelation without developing a global outlook, for the emphasis is on what God does for people in
the whole world. The Lamb died to redeem people “out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9). The great multitudes pictured here
came from “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9). “Go
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” was our Lord’s
mandate (Mark
There
is no doubt as to who this multitude is, because one of the elders explained it
to John (Rev. 7:14): they are Gentiles who have been saved through faith in
Christ during the tribulation. (We will meet this same group again in Rev. 14.)
While today, in most parts of the world, it is relatively easy to confess
Christ, this will not be the case during the tribulation, at least during the
last half of it. Then, unless persons wear the “mark of the beast,” they will
not be able to buy or sell, and this would leave them without even life’s bare
necessities. Revelation
The
fact that they are standing before the throne and not seated around it
indicates that these people are not identified with the twenty-four elders. In
fact, John himself did not know who they were! If they had been Old Testament
believers, or the church, John have recognized them. That the elder had to tell
John who they were suggests that they are a special people, which, indeed, they
are. 他們站在寶座前，而不是坐在寶座周圍，這表明這些人與二十四位長老並不認同。事實上，約翰自己也不知道他們是誰！如果他們是舊約信徒或教會，約翰已經認出了他們。長老必須告訴約翰他們是誰，這表明他們是一個特殊的民族，事實上，他們是。
Of
course, in the heavenly city (Rev. 21—22), all distinctions will cease and we
shall all simply be the people of God in glory. But while God is working out
His program in human history, distinctions still exist between the Jews, the
Gentiles, the church, and the tribulation saints. 當然，在天上的城市（啟示錄 21-22），所有的區別都會消失，我們都將在榮耀中成為上帝的子民。但是，當上帝在人類歷史上作祂的計劃時，猶太人、外邦人、教會和患難聖徒之間仍然存在區別。
John gave
a beautiful description of these people. 約翰對這些人進行了優美的描述。
First,
they were accepted, for they stood before God’s throne and the Lamb. No doubt
they had been rejected on earth for they stood for truth at a time when lies
were popular and Satan was in charge. Their white robes and palms symbolize
victory: they were true overcomers! The Jews used palm branches at their Feast
of Tabernacles (Lev.
Then,
they were joyful. They sang praises to the Father and to the Lamb, and their
worship was joined by all those who surrounded the throne. 然後，他們很高興。他們歌頌天父和羔羊，所有圍繞寶座的人都加入了他們的崇拜。
Third,
they were rewarded. They had the privilege of being before God’s throne and of
serving Him. When God’s people get to heaven, there will be work to do! We
shall be able to serve Him perfectly! The Lamb will shepherd us and satisfy us
with every good thing (see Isa. 49:10; Rev. 21:4). 第三，他們得到了獎勵。他們有幸在上帝的寶座前侍奉祂。當上帝的子民到天堂時，會有工作要做！我們將能夠完美地侍奉祂！羔羊會牧養我們，使我們滿足一切美好的事物（見 以賽亞書 49:10；啟示錄 21:4）。
The
opening of the seventh seal will introduce the seven “trumpet judgments” (Rev.
8—11) and the wrath of God will increase both in intensity and scope. But
before that occurs, we are assured that in His wrath, God will remember mercy
(Hab. 3:2). Despite the wrath of God and the terror inspired by Satan and his
helpers, multitudes will be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter
what the age or dispensation. God’s way of salvation has always been the same:
faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. 揭開第七印將引入第七“號角審判”（啟示錄 8-11），上帝的忿怒在強度和範圍上都會增加。但在那之前，我們確信在祂的憤怒中，上帝會記念憐憫（哈巴谷 3:2）。儘管上帝的忿怒和撒旦及其助手所激發的恐懼，許多人將藉由耶穌基督的寶血得救。不管是什麼年代，什麼配合。上帝的救恩方式始終如一：相信上帝的羔羊耶穌基督。
Sad to
say, however, multitudes during that time will also reject the Savior and trust
“the beast.” But are there not people today who prefer Satan to Christ and this
world to the world to come? They are just as condemned as the tribulation
sinners who receive the “mark of the beast.” 然而，可悲的是，在那時，許多人也會拒絕救主，而相信“野獸”。但是在今天難道還有人寧願要撒旦而捨棄基督，寧願要世界勝過來世嗎？ 在大災難中接受“獸印記”的罪人一樣受到譴責。
If you have never trusted the Savior, do so now. 如果你從未相信過救主，現在就相信。
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