新约 - 启示录(Revelation)第7章

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.
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:
"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."
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
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 in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
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,
saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"
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.
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 spread his tent over them.
Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
启示录第七章   启 7:1-8> 灾难临到,谁还站立得住?我们的指望在乎…… 

  7:1-8 第六印已经揭开了,地上的众民都想避开神,说:“谁能站得住呢?”( 6:12-17 )正当一切希望都似乎幻灭的时候,有四位天使执掌着那四面审判的风,好待神的子民都盖上证明自己是属祂的印。之后,才揭开第七印( 8:1 )。 

  启 7:2> 永生神的印,将来我也会有分。今天我所遭的又有什么可惧呢? 

  7:2 书卷或文件用印严封是为了要鉴定它的内容并加以保护。神把印盖在祂的跟从者的额上,证明他们是属于祂的,保证他们的灵魂得着保护,显明祂重视我们。我们的身体可能被鞭打、受残害或甚至遭杀害,但当我们被神盖了印之后,就没有任何东西可以伤害我们的灵魂了(参弗 1:13 )。 

  启 7:3> 神的印记与兽的印记,所差的只在于…… 

  7:3 神的印盖在祂仆人的前额,刚好与盖了兽印记的人作对比( 13:16 )。这两个印记把地上的人分成两个不同的类别──属于神的和属于撒但的。 

  启 7:4-8> 十四万四千?太少了吧…… 

  7:4-8 十四万四千这个数目是“ 12 ╳ 12 ╳ 1,000" ,象征完全──所有跟从神的人都被平安地带到祂那儿去;不会遗忘了任何一个。神为这些信徒盖印,可能会把他们从地上带走(便是教会被提);或有特别的能力赐给他们,使他们能够度过大迫害的时刻。盖印不一定保证他们能够免除身体的伤害,很多人可能会死去( 6:11 ),但神保护他们灵魂不受伤害。不论有什么事情发生,他们都会得着永生,这些信徒即使遭遇残酷的迫害,也不会离弃神。 

  这并不是说,那十四万四千人必先盖印,然后迫害才来到,但迫害开始的时候,忠贞的信徒已经被盖上印了(被神分别出来),他们要向神保持忠心,直到末了。 

  启 7:4-8> 刚好有十二个名字,定是指十二支派──且慢,你看那名字…… 

  7:4-8 这一个名单和旧约十二支派惯常的名单有不同的地方,因为它象征着神的真正跟从者。( 1 )首先提及犹大,因为大卫和弥赛亚耶稣都是从犹大支派而出的(参创 49:8-12 ;太 1:1 )。( 2 )利未原本不算支派,因为利未人是为神在圣殿中工作的(参申 18:1 ),但是这里也把利未人包括在名单之内,作为他们忠心事奉的赏赐。( 3 )未有列出但支派,因为他们反叛神和拜偶像,这些都是跟从神的人所不应当作的(参创 49:17 )。( 4 )代表约瑟的两个支派通常是他的儿子以法莲和玛拿西,但在这里却列出约瑟支派和玛拿西支派,那是因为以法莲的叛逆。(有关十二支派的形成,请参创 49:1-28 。) %5 

  启 7:9> 这许多人,从哪里来?是…… 

  7:9 谁是那不可胜数的人群呢?有人说他们是 6 章 9 节所说的殉道者,但也可能是刚刚提及的十四万四千人。神在大逼迫开始之前为那十四万四千人盖了印;正如神所应许的,他们会得到永生。他们在之前已作好准备,因此现在就能得胜。这大群在天上的人,乃是由历代以来对神忠心的人所组合起来的。真正的信徒不必担心他属于哪个组别,神一定会保护我们每一个,我们必定与神同在。 

  启 7:10> 天上人间,只有一个名字叫我们能得洁净…… 

  7:10 世人尝试用很多办法去除掉罪咎,如藉着行善、学术研究、或怪责别人。但天上的人群却赞美神:“救恩来自那坐在宝座上的神和羔羊!”只有藉着耶稣基督,我们才得蒙拯救,脱离罪的惩罚。你是否已藉着这惟一的方法使罪咎除去了呢? 

  启 7:14> 大患难中,仍能忠心为主;换了是我…… 

  7:14 有些人相信大患难所指的是历代以来信徒所受的苦;另一些人相信大患难是一场将要来临的惨烈灾难。无论怎样,这些信徒经历了苦难,仍然对神忠心,因此,神赐给他们永远与祂同在的褔分( 7:17 )。 

  启 7:14> 血可以洗白了衣裳? 

  7:14 我们很难想像,血怎样可以使衣裳洗得洁白,但是耶稣基督的血是世上最好的洁白剂,因为能够除去罪恶的污点。 

  启 7:16-17> 不再饥、不再饿、不再有眼泪,将来原是…… 

  7:16-17 在永恒的国度里,神会供应祂儿女的需要,在那里再没有饥饿、干渴或痛苦,祂也要擦干所有的眼泪。若你正面对苦难,或在受尽折磨的时候,可以从这个看顾的应许中得到安慰。 

  7:17 在本章第 1 到第 8 节,我们看到信徒得着印记的保护,使他们平安度过大患难;在第 7 至 17 节,我们看到信徒最后在天上和神同在,历代以来忠贞的信徒都在神的宝座前唱歌。他们的灾难和悲哀已成过去:不再为罪而流泪,因为一切的罪都被赦免了;不再为受苦而流泪,因为一切的痛苦已成过去;不再需要为了死亡而流泪,因为所有的信徒都已复活,不用再经历死亡了。──《灵修版圣经注释》