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英語原文
This chapter is thought by some to be the darkest part of all this prophecy: it is very probable that the things contained in it are not yet accomplished; and therefore it is the wiser way to content ourselves with general observations, rather than to be positive and particular in our explications of it. Here we have an account, I. Of the binding of Satan for a thousand years, Re 20:1-3. II. The reign of the saints with Christ for the same time, Re 20:4-6. III. Of the loosing of Satan, and the conflict of the church with Gog and Magog, Re 20:7-10. IV. Of the day of judgment, Re 20:11-15, etc.
1-10
The Binding of Satan (95 AD)
简体中文
撒但被捆绑(公元95年)
¹ 我又看见一位天使从天降下,手里拿着无底坑的钥匙和一条大链子。
² 他捉住那龙,就是古蛇,又叫魔鬼,也叫撒但,把它捆绑一千年。
³ 扔在无底坑里,将无底坑关闭,用印封上,使它不得再迷惑列国,等到那一千年完了。以后必须暂时释放它。
⁴ 我又看见几个宝座,也有坐在上面的,并有审判的权柄赐给他们。我又看见那些因为给耶稣作见证,并为神之道被斩者的灵魂,和那没有拜过兽与兽像,也没有在额上和手上受过它印记之人的灵魂,他们都活了,与基督一同作王一千年。
⁵ 这是头一次的复活。其余的死人还没有活过来,直等那一千年完了。
⁶ 在头一次复活有分的有福了,圣洁了!第二次的死在他们身上没有权柄。他们必作神和基督的祭司,并要与基督一同作王一千年。
⁷ 那一千年完了,撒但必从监牢里被释放,
⁸ 出来要迷惑地上四方的列国,就是歌革和玛各,叫他们聚集争战。他们的人数多如海沙。
⁹ 他们上来遍满了全地,围住圣徒的营与蒙爱的城,就有火从天降下,烧灭了他们。
¹⁰ 那迷惑他们的魔鬼被扔在硫磺的火湖里,就是兽和假先知所在的地方。他们必昼夜受痛苦,直到永永远远。
在此我们有:
一、关于撒但被捆绑一定时期的预言;在此期间,他的能力将大减,教会将比从前更享平安。撒但的权势已因福音国度的设立而部分被打破;又因帝国皈依基督教而进一步削弱;更因奥秘的巴比伦的覆灭而进一步受创;但这蛇仍有许多头,一个被击伤,另一个仍存有余力。在此我们看见对其权势进一步的限制与削减。请观察:1. 这捆绑撒但之工交托给谁——「一位从天降下的天使」。这位天使很可能不是别人,正是主耶稣基督;对他的描述难以适合任何其他人。他是那有能力「捆绑那壮士,把他赶出去,抢夺他的家财」的;所以必比他更强。2. 他在这工作中所用的手段:他有一条「链子」和一把「钥匙」,用「大链子」捆绑撒但,又用他所要被囚之「监牢的钥匙」。基督从不缺少合宜的权能与工具来击破撒但的权势,因为他有天上之权能与阴间之钥匙。3. 这工作的执行(启20:2-3)。(1)「他捉住那龙,就是古蛇,又叫魔鬼,也叫撒但」。龙的力量也好,蛇的诡诈也好,都不足以把他从基督手中救出;他一抓住,便抓住不放。(2)他把撒但「扔在无底坑里」,用力量和公义的报应,把他掷回他自己的地方和监牢;他先前曾被许可从那里挣脱,扰乱众教会、迷惑列国;如今他被带回那监牢,锁在其中。(3)他被「关闭,用印封上」。基督关了,就无人能开;他以权能关闭,以权柄封缄;他的锁和印,连鬼魔自己也无法破解。(4)我们看见撒但这囚禁的期限——「一千年」,之后他要再被「释放」「一段短时间」。教会将有一段相当的平安繁荣之时,但她的一切试炼尚未全然过去。
二、关于圣徒作王的记述,其期限与撒但继续被捆绑之时相同(启20:4-6),在此请观察:
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谁得了这样的尊荣——那些为基督受苦的人,以及所有忠心依附他、未受兽的印记、不拜兽像的人;所有保守自己不沾染异教与教皇偶像崇拜的人。
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赐给他们的尊荣。(1)他们从死里复活,恢复生命。这可按字面也可按寓意理解;他们在政治公民意义上是死的,得着了政治性的复活;他们的自由与特权得以复苏和恢复。(2)「宝座」和「审判」的权柄「赐给他们」;他们得了极大的尊荣、势力和权柄——我想这更属于属灵的性质而非世俗的性质。(3)「他们与基督一同作王一千年」。与基督同苦的,必与他同王;他们必在他的属天属灵国度中与他同王,在与他的智慧、公义、圣洁上得着荣耀的效法,远胜世上从前所知的。这被称为「头一次的复活」;除了那些事奉基督、为基督受苦的人,无人能得这福分。至于恶人,他们直到撒但被释放才得复活、恢复权势;这可称为一种复活,正如犹太人的归正被称为「从死里复活」。
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这些神仆人的福气在此宣告。(1)他们「有福了,圣洁了」(启20:6)。非圣洁无人能蒙福;凡圣洁的都必蒙福。这些人在属灵的复活中作为初熟的果子归给神,是圣洁的,也如此蒙他所福。(2)他们得蒙保守,脱离第二次死的权势。我们略知头一次的死是什么,已十分可怕;但我们不知这第二次的死是什么。它必更为可畏;它是灵魂的死,是与神永远的分离。愿主叫我们永不在经历中知道它是什么。那些已经历属灵复活的人,已脱离了第二次死的权势。
三、关于教会患难再来、又一场大争战的记述——极其剧烈,却短暂而决定性。请观察:1. 长久加在撒但身上的束缚,终于被解除。只要这世界还存在,撒但在其中的权势就不会全然毁灭;它可能被限制和削减,但他仍有所作为来搅扰神的百姓。2. 撒但一被释放,便立即重操旧业,「迷惑列国」,煽动他们与圣徒和神的仆人争战;若非他先迷惑了他们,他们绝不肯行这事。他们在所投入的事由上受欺哄(他们以为那是善举,实则极恶),也在结局上受欺哄(他们指望得胜,却必败亡)。3. 他最后的努力似乎最大。如今所许可给他的权势,似乎比从前更无所限制。他如今得以在「地上四方」招募他的志愿军,便招募了一支大军,「人数多如海沙」(启20:8)。4. 我们看见这支军队在龙之下主要将领的名字——「歌革和玛各」。这军队既是从天下各方招聚而来,我们不必过于追究这些名字究竟指哪些特定的权势。这些名字在圣经别处也出现过。「玛各」我们读到的记载在创10:2。他是雅弗的一个儿子,定居于称为「叙利亚」之地,其后裔由此散居许多别处。至于「歌革和玛各」并提,我们仅在结38:2读到,那里的预言是启示录此处许多意象的来源。5. 我们看见这支可怕大军的行军与部署(启20:9):「他们上来遍满了全地,围住圣徒的营与蒙爱的城」,即属灵的耶路撒冷,其中存放着神百姓最宝贵的利益,所以在他们看来是蒙爱的城。圣徒的军兵被描绘为从城中出来,驻扎在城墙之下,为要保卫它;他们在耶路撒冷四围安营:但仇敌的军队远胜教会的军队,以致把他们和他们的城团团围住。6. 这里记载了这场争战及其结局:「就有火从神那里、从天降下,烧灭了仇敌」。如此,「歌革和玛各」的覆灭早有预言(结38:22):「我必用瘟疫和流血的事刑罚他。我必将暴雨、大雹与火、并硫磺降与他与他的军队」。神要以非寻常的、更直接的方式,为他的百姓打这最后决定性的一仗,使胜利得以完全,荣耀归于他自己。7. 大仇敌「魔鬼」的定罪与刑罚:他如今被扔进地狱,与他两位大臣「兽和假先知」——即暴政与偶像崇拜——同在一起,不是为着任何时期,而是要在那里「昼夜受痛苦,直到永永远远」。
英語原文
The Binding of Satan (95 AD)
¹ And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
² And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
³ And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
⁶ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
⁷ And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
⁸ And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
⁹ And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
¹⁰ And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
We have here, I. A prophecy of the binding of Satan for a certain term of time, in which he should have much less power and the church much more peace than before. The power of Satan was broken in part by the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world; it was further reduced by the empire's becoming Christian; it was yet further broken by the downfall of the mystical Babylon; but still this serpent had many heads, and, when one is wounded, another has life remaining in it. Here we have a further limitation and diminution of his power. Observe, 1. To whom this work of binding Satan is committed—to an angel from heaven. It is very probable that this angel is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ; the description of him will hardly agree with any other. He is one who has power to bind the strong man armed, to cast him out, and to spoil his goods; and therefore must be stronger than he. 2. The means he makes use of in this work: he has a chain and a key, a great chain to bind Satan, and the key of the prison in which he was to be confined. Christ never wants proper powers and instruments to break the power of Satan, for he has the powers of heaven and the keys of hell. 3. The execution of this work, Re 20:2,3. (1.) He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan. Neither the strength of the dragon, nor the subtlety of the serpent, was sufficient to rescue him out of the hands of Christ; he caught hold, and kept his hold. And, (2.) He cast him into the bottomless pit, cast him down with force, and with a just vengeance, to his own place and prison, from which he had been permitted to break out, and disturb the churches, and deceive the nations; now he is brought back to that prison, and there laid in chains. (3.) He is shut up, and a seal set upon him. Christ shuts, and none can open; he shuts by his power, seals by his authority; and his lock and seal even the devils themselves cannot break open. (4.) We have the term of this confinement of Satan—a thousand years, after which he was to be loosed again for a little season. The church should have a considerable time of peace and prosperity, but all her trials were not yet over.
II. An account of the reign of the saints for the same space of time in which Satan continued bound (Re 20:4-6), and here observe,
1. Who those were that received such honour—those who had suffered for Christ, and all who had faithfully adhered to him, not receiving the mark of the beast, nor worshipping his image; all who had kept themselves clear of pagan and papal idolatry.
2. The honour bestowed upon them. (1.) They were raised from the dead, and restored to life. This may be taken either literally or figuratively; they were in a civil and political sense dead, and had a political resurrection; their liberties and privileges were revived and restored. (2.) Thrones, and power of judgment, were given to them; they were possessed of great honour, and interest, and authority, I suppose rather of a spiritual than of a secular nature. (3.) They reigned with Christ a thousand years. Those who suffer with Christ shall reign with Christ; they shall reign with him in his spiritual and heavenly kingdom, in a glorious conformity to him in wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, beyond what had been known before in the world. This is called the first resurrection, which none but those who have served Christ and suffered for him shall be favoured with. As for the wicked, they shall not be raised up and restored to their power again, till Satan be let loose; this may be called a resurrection, as the conversion of the Jews is said to be life from the dead.
3. The happiness of these servants of God is declared. (1.) They are blessed and holy, Re 20:6. None can be blessed but those that are holy; and all that are holy shall be blessed. These were holy as a sort of first-fruits to God in this spiritual resurrection, and as such blessed by him. (2.) They are secured from the power of the second death. We know something of what the first death is, and it is awful; but we know not what this second death is. It must be much more dreadful; it is the death of the soul, eternal separation from God. The Lord grant we may never know what it is by experience. Those who have had experience of a spiritual resurrection are saved from the power of the second death.
III. An account of the return of the church's troubles, and another mighty conflict, very sharp, but short and decisive. Observe, 1. The restraints laid for a long time on Satan are at length taken off. While this world lasts, Satan's power in it will not be wholly destroyed; it may be limited and lessened, but he will have something still to do for the disturbance of the people of God. 2. No sooner is Satan let loose than he falls to his old work, deceiving the nations, and so stirring them up to make a war with the saints and servants of God, which they would never do if he had not first deceived them. They are deceived both as to the cause they engage in (they believe it to be a good cause when it is indeed a very bad one), and as to the issue: they expect to be successful, but are sure to lose the day. 3. His last efforts seem to be the greatest. The power now permitted to him seems to be more unlimited than before. He had now liberty to beat up for his volunteers in all the four quarters of the earth, and he raised a mighty army, the number of which was as the sand of the sea, Re 20:8. 4. We have the names of the principal commanders in this army under the dragon—Gog and Magog. We need not be too inquisitive as to what particular powers are meant by these names, since the army was gathered from all parts of the world. These names are found in other parts of scripture. Magog we read of in Ge 10:2. He was one of the sons of Japheth, and peopled the country called Syria, from which his descendants spread into many other parts. Of Gog and Magog together we only read in Eze 38:2, a prophecy whence this in Revelation borrows many of its images. 5. We have the march and military disposition of this formidable army (Re 20:9): They went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city, that is, the spiritual Jerusalem, in which the most precious interests of the people of God are lodged, and therefore to them a beloved city. The army of the saints is described as drawn forth out of the city, and lying under the walls of it, to defend it; they were encamped about Jerusalem: but the army of the enemy was so much superior to that of the church that they compassed them and their city about. 6. You have an account of the battle, and the issue of this war: Fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured the enemy. Thus the ruin of Gog and Magog is foretold (Eze 38:22), I will rain upon him and upon his bands an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, and fire and brimstone. God would, in an extraordinary and more immediate manner, fight this last and decisive battle for his people, that the victory might be complete and the glory redound to himself. 7. The doom and punishment of the grand enemy, the devil: he is now cast into hell, with his two great officers, the beast and the false prophet, tyranny and idolatry, and that not for any term of time, but to be there tormented night and day, for ever and ever.
11-15
The Universal Judgment (95 AD)
简体中文
普世审判(公元95年)
¹¹ 我又看见一个白色的大宝座与坐在上面的;从他面前天地都逃避,再无可见之处了。 ¹² 我又看见死了的人,无论大小,都站在宝座前。案卷展开了,并且另有一卷展开,就是生命册。死了的人都凭着这些案卷所记载的,照他们所行的受审判。 ¹³ 于是海交出其中的死人;死亡和阴间也交出其中的死人;他们都照各人所行的受审判。 ¹⁴ 死亡和阴间也被扔在火湖里;这火湖就是第二次的死。 ¹⁵ 若有人名字没记在生命册上,他就被扔在火湖里。
魔鬼之国度的彻底倾覆,很自然地引向审判之日的记述,那一日将判定各人永远的光景;当我们看见「这世界的王受了审判」(约16:11),便可确知必有审判。这将是「大而显赫之日」,那时众人都必「在基督的审判台前显现」。愿主帮助我们坚信这将来审判之道。这道曾使腓力斯惧怕。此处便有其描述,请观察:1. 我们看见审判的「宝座」与法庭,「大」而「白」,极荣耀,且完全公义正直。「那藉律例制造罪孽的审判席的座位」,与这公义的宝座和法庭毫无相干。2. 审判者的显现,即主耶稣基督;那时他要披上如此的威严与可畏,使「天地都从他面前逃避,再无可见之处」——整个自然之框架都要解体(彼后3:10)。3. 受审的人(启20:12):「死了的人,无论大小」——即老少、贵贱、贫富。地位再卑微的人也有当交账的才干,地位再尊贵的人也不能脱离此法庭的权限;不仅基督再来时还活着的人,连一切先前死去的人也包括在内:坟墓要交出人的身体,阴间要交出恶人的灵魂,海洋要交出许多似乎在其中灭没的人。4. 审判之规的确定:「案卷展开了」。什么案卷?神的全知之册——他比我们的心大,知道万事(他那里有为善为恶的记念之册);以及罪人良心的册子,先前虽隐秘,如今却要展开。「另有一卷」要展开——就是圣经之卷,天上的典章之书,生命之规。这卷之所以展开,因其含律法,是试验人心的心思与生平的试金石。这卷判定是非之理;其余各卷则供应事实之证。有人以「另一卷」即「生命册」为神永远旨意之册;但这似不属于审判之事:在永远的拣选中,神并非以审判者行事,而是凭绝对的主权自由而行。5. 当审之事:即「人的行为」,他们所行的,是善是恶。「人必照自己的行为称义或定罪」;因为神虽知道他们的光景与原则,且主要看这些,然而为要在天使和人面前显明自己是公义的神,他必以行为试验他们的原则,如此他便「在你发言时显为公义,在你受审时显为清正」。6. 审问与判决的结局;这将按事实之证与审判之规而定。凡曾「与死亡立约」、「与阴间结盟」的人,那时必与他们的地狱同伙一同被定罪,与他们一同被扔进火湖里,因为按圣经所立的生命之规,他们不配得永生;但凡名字记在那册上的人(即因福音称义得释的人),那时必蒙审判者称义得释,并进入永生,再不必惧怕死亡、阴间或恶人;因为这一切都已同被除灭。我们当以查看自己在圣经面前所处的光景为最大关切——它如今是称我们为义,还是定我们的罪?因为审判万物的主必按此规而行。「基督必照福音审判万人隐秘事」。凡按福音如此整理并陈明自己案情、以致预先知道在主的大日必得称为义的人有福了!
英語原文
The Universal Judgment (95 AD)
¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The utter destruction of the devil's kingdom very properly leads to an account of the day of judgment, which will determine every man's everlasting state; and we may be assured there will be a judgment when we see the prince of this world is judged, Joh 16:11. This will be a great day, the great day, when all shall appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. The Lord help us firmly to believe this doctrine of the judgment to come. It is a doctrine that made Felix tremble. Here we have a description of it, where observe, 1. We behold the throne, and tribunal of judgment, great and white, very glorious and perfectly just and righteous. The throne of iniquity, that establishes wickedness by a law, has no fellowship with this righteous throne and tribunal. 2. The appearance of the Judge, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who then puts on such majesty and terror that the earth and the heaven flee from his face, and there is no place found for them; there is a dissolution of the whole frame of nature, 2Pe 3:10. 3. The persons to be judged (Re 20:12): The dead, small and great; that is, young and old, low and high, poor and rich. None are so mean but they have some talents to account for, and none so great as to avoid the jurisdiction of this court; not only those that are found alive at the coming of Christ, but all who have died before; the grave shall surrender the bodies of men, hell shall surrender the souls of the wicked, the sea shall surrender the many who seemed to have been lost in it. 4. The rule of judgment settled: The books were opened. What books? The books of God's omniscience, who is greater than our consciences, and knows all things (there is a book of remembrance with him both for good and bad); and the book of the sinner's conscience, which, though formerly secret, will now be opened. And another book shall be opened—the book of the scriptures, the statute-book of heaven, the rule of life. This book is opened as containing the law, the touchstone by which the hearts and lives of men are to be tried. This book determines matter of right; the other books give evidence of matters of fact. Some, by the other book, called the book of life, understand the book of God's eternal counsels; but that does not seem to belong to the affair of judgment: in eternal election God does not act judicially, but with absolute sovereign freedom. 5. The cause to be tried; and that is, the works of men, what they have done and whether it be good or evil. By their works men shall be justified or condemned; for though God knows their state and their principles, and looks chiefly at these, yet, being to approve himself to angels and men as a righteous God, he will try their principles by their practices, and so will be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges. 6. The issue of the trial and judgment; and this will be according to the evidence of fact, and rule of judgment. All those who have made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell, shall then be condemned with their infernal confederates, cast with them into the lake of fire, as not being entitled to eternal life, according to the rules of life laid down in the scripture; but those whose names are written in that book (that is, those that are justified and acquitted by the gospel) shall then be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. Let it be our great concern to see on what terms we stand with our Bibles, whether they justify us or condemn us now; for the Judge of all will proceed by that rule. Christ shall judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel. Happy are those who have so ordered and stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord!
有人认为本章是整卷预言中最幽暗难明的一段;其中所载之事很可能尚未成就;因此较明智的做法是只满足于概括的观察,而不在解释上过于确定与琐碎。本章我们看见以下记述:一、撒但被捆绑一千年,启 20:1-3。二、圣徒与基督同作王同样长的时间,启 20:4-6。三、撒但被释放,以及教会与歌革和玛各的争战,启 20:7-10。四、审判的日子,启 20:11-15,等等。