6. Revelation   啟示錄

    One day, John heard some loud voice.  As he turned around, he saw seven golden candles flying in the sky. Among them was a man wearing a robe, with seven stars in his hand, light from his face.  John was scared and couldn't move.  That man told him: "Fear not, I am Jesus, the first and the last.  I was dead, but I am alive for evermore.  Write down what you has seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."  John wrote down what he saw and what he heard.  He named the words "Revelation".

    John saw a throne setting in heaven, and one man sat on the throne.  Round about the throne were twenty-four elders sitting, and there were also four beasts full of eyes before and behind flying with six wings, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

    John saw a book in the right hand of the man.  The book sealed with seven seals was waiting for opening.  In the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes.  The elders fell down before the Lamb and said: "You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals.  Because you were slain, and has redeemed us to God by your blood."  The Lamb was Jesus.

    When the Lamb opened one of the seals, John saw a white horse.  The man sat on the horse had a bow, a crown was given to him.  He went forth conquering and to conquer.

    When the second seal was opened, there went out another horse that was red.  Power was given to him that sat on the horse to take peace from the earth, and people should kill one another.  A great sword was given to him.

    The third seal was opened, a man had a pair of balances in his hand presented on a black horse.

    As the fourth seal was opened, the name of the man sat on a pale horse was Death.  Hell followed with him.  Power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with disease, and with the beasts of the earth.

    The horses had different meanings.  White horse: wars, red horse: kill, black horse: hunger, pale horse: disease.

    When the fifth seal was opened, there came the souls that were slain for the words of God, and for the testimony which they held.  They cried and asked Lord to judge people that dwell on the earth.  But they were told that they should rest yet for a little season.

    The sixth seal was opened.  There was a great earthquake, the sun became black, the moon became as blood, the stars fell onto the earth.  The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.  They said to the mountains and rocks: "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."

    When the seventh seal was opened, seven angels stood before God were given seven trumpets.  Each of them sounded the trumpet in turns, and disaster followed.  Plants were burned, water of the sea became blood, burning star fell upon the rivers and the fountains of water, the sun was darkened like night, scorpions hurt those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

    In those days, men seek death and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, but death shall flee from them.

    在拔摩島上的約翰有一天聽到背後傳來巨大的說話聲，他轉頭查看是誰在說話，不料竟看到七個金燈台浮在空中，燈台中有個人穿著長袍，手拿七星，面如烈日放光。約翰一時嚇得無法動彈。那人說：「不用害怕，我是耶穌。我曾死過，現在又活了，且直到永遠。我來是要告訴你，要將所看到的寫在書上，無論現在或未來的事都寫下來。」約翰開始看見異象，一幕接著一幕。他把所見所聽記錄下來，稱為耶穌的啟示，即為《啟示錄》。

    約翰開了天眼，首先看到天上寶座出現，有人在座上，周圍有二十四個長老坐著，另外有四個全身佈滿眼睛的生物在一旁用六個翅膀飛翔著並讚美主。

    約翰看到寶座上的人右手有一本用七個印封住的書卷，等待有人去開啟。結果出現一隻有七角及七眼羔羊，那些長老起來迎接他說：「只有你配拿書卷揭開七印，因為你曾被殺，用自己的血叫各民歸於神。」這羔羊就是耶穌。

    當羔羊揭開七印中第一封印時，約翰看見一匹白馬跑出來，馬上的騎士手拿著弓，頭戴冠冕，可使人爭戰不休，只為獲勝。

    揭開第二封印時，另外一匹馬跑出來，全身血紅，騎在馬上的人手握大刀，擁有毀壞和平讓人彼此互相殘殺的力量。

    第三封印揭開的時候，有人騎著一匹黑馬跑出來，手裡拿著天秤。

    開第四封印時，出現灰色的馬，騎在馬上的人名字叫死神，陰府也隨著他而來。他有權力可以用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫、野獸殺害地上四分之一的人。

    這四匹不同顏色的馬各代表不同的含意。白馬是戰爭，紅馬是殺戮，黑馬象徵飢荒，灰馬則是瘟疫。

    第五封印一揭開，看到殉道者伸冤，要求主審判地上的罪人，但他們被告知時候未到，要耐心等待。

    當第六封印被揭開時，突然發生大地震，高山沉為海島，太陽轉黑，月紅似血，天上星辰紛紛落到地上。不論富貴低賤，所有人都躲進山洞。他們對高山岩石喊著：「倒在我們身上吧，將我們藏起來，以避免那坐寶座者的面孔和羔羊的憤怒！」

    最後封印─第七封印開啟了，出現吹號的七位天使，每位輪流吹號。每吹一號重大的災難便降臨人間，植物瞬間燒毀，海水也燃燒起來變成血水，巨大的行星撞上地球使飲用水滅絕，白晝也像黑夜一般昏暗，數不清的怪蟲從地下竄出毒螫罪人，使其求生不得求死不能。