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简体中文
英語原文
We have already seen what occurred upon opening six of the seals; we now come to the opening of the seventh, which introduced the sounding of the seven trumpets; and a direful scene now opens. Most expositors agree that the seven seals represent the interval between the apostle's time and the reign of Constantine, but that the seven trumpets are designed to represent the rise of antichrist, some time after the empire became Christian. In this chapter we have, I. The preface, or prelude, to the sounding of the trumpets, Re 8:1-6. II. The sounding of four of the trumpets, Re 8:7-13, etc.).
1-6
The Seven Trumpets (95 AD)
简体中文
七号（公元95年）
¹ 羔羊揭开第七印的时候，天上寂静约有二刻。
² 我看见那站在神面前的七位天使，有七支号赐给他们。
³ 另有一位天使拿着金香炉，来站在祭坛旁边；有许多香赐给他，要和众圣徒的祈祷一同献在宝座前的金坛上。
⁴ 那香的烟和众圣徒的祈祷，从天使的手中一同升到神面前。
⁵ 天使拿着香炉，盛满了坛上的火，倒在地上；随有雷轰、大声、闪电、地震。
⁶ 拿着七支号的七位天使就预备要吹。
在这些经文中，我们看见吹号之前在数处所见的前奏。
一、最后一印的揭开。这是为要引进一组新的预言图像与事件；神的护理有一条相连的链，一部分连着另一部分（一处完毕，另一处便开始），它们虽然在性质与时间上各有不同，却都在神手中合成一个智慧、相连、一致的计划。
二、天上「约有二刻」的肃静，这可理解为：1. 和平的肃静，即在这一段时间内，没有控诉上达万军之主耶和华的耳中；教会中一切平静安稳，所以天上也都静默——因为每当地上的教会因受压迫而呼求时，那呼声便上达天上，在天上回响；或，2. 期待的肃静；大事已在护理的轮上，神的教会——无论在天上地上——都肃静站立，按其所当行的，要看神要作什么，正如亚 2:13 所说：「凡有血气的，都当在耶和华面前静默无声；因为他已兴起，从圣所出来了。」又有话说：「你们要休息，要知道我是神。」
三、号交给了将要吹号的天使。天使仍被用作神圣护理那智慧而乐意的器皿，他们从我们的救主神那里得着一切的材料与指示。正如教会的使者要吹响福音的号，天上的天使也要吹响护理的号，每一个人都得了自己所当尽的一份。
四、为此预备，另有一位天使必须先献香，启 8:3。这位「另有一位天使」很可能就是主耶稣——教会的大祭司，此处以其祭司的职分来描述他，他拿着金香炉和许多香，就是他自己荣耀位格中那满足的功德；这香他要「和众圣徒的祈祷一同」献在他神性的「金坛」上。请注意：1. 一切圣徒都是祷告的人；神的儿女中没有一个是生来哑巴的，恩典之灵总是儿子名分与恳求的灵，教导我们呼叫「阿爸，父」。诗 32:6：「为此，凡虔诚人都当趁你可寻找的时候祷告你。」2. 危险之时当是祷告之时，极大期待之时也当是祷告之时；我们的惧怕与盼望都当催促我们祷告，而当神的教会的利害深关时，神百姓在祷告中的心当大大宽广。3. 圣徒自己的祷告也需要基督的香与他代求的辅助，才能蒙悦纳、生效；基督已为此有所预备；他有他的香、他的香炉、他的坛；他自己对他百姓就是这一切。4. 圣徒的祷告在香的云雾中升到神面前；这样奉上推荐的祷告，从未被拒绝听闻或悦纳。5. 这些在天上蒙悦纳的祷告，相应在地上产生大改变；那用香炉献上圣徒祷告的同一位天使，又用同一香炉「盛满了坛上的火，倒在地上」；这随即引起奇特的震动，「雷轰、大声、闪电、地震」；这些就是神给圣徒祷告的回应，是他向世人发怒的记号，表明他要为他的百姓报仇，并为他自己伸冤；如今一切既已如此预备，天使便各尽其职。
英語原文
The Seven Trumpets (95 AD)
¹ And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half a hour.
² And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
³ And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
⁴ And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
⁵ And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
⁶ And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
In these verses we have the prelude to the sounding of the trumpets in several parts.
I. The opening of the last seal. This was to introduce a new set of prophetical iconisms and events; there is a continued chain of providence, one part linked to another (where one ends another begins), and, though they may differ in nature and in time, they all make up one wise, well-connected, uniform design in the hand of God.
II. A profound silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, which may be understood either, 1. Of the silence of peace, that for this time no complaints were sent up to the ear of the Lord God of sabaoth; all was quiet and well in the church, and therefore all silent in heaven, for whenever the church on earth cries, through oppression, that cry comes up to heaven and resounds there; or, 2. A silence of expectation; great things were upon the wheel of providence, and the church of God, both in heaven and earth, stood silent, as became them, to see what God was doing, according to that of Zec 2:13, Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord, for he has risen up out of his holy habitation. And elsewhere, Be still, and know that I am God.
III. The trumpets were delivered to the angels who were to sound them. Still the angels are employed as the wise and willing instruments of divine Providence, and they are furnished with all their materials and instructions from God our Saviour. As the angels of the churches are to sound the trumpet of the gospel, the angels of heaven are to sound the trumpet of Providence, and every one has his part given him.
IV. To prepare for this, another angel must first offer incense, Re 8:3. It is very probable that this other angel is the Lord Jesus, the high priest of the church, who is here described in his sacerdotal office, having a golden censer and much incense, a fulness of merit in his own glorious person, and this incense he was to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar of his divine nature. Observe, 1. All the saints are a praying people; none of the children of God are born dumb, a Spirit of grace is always a Spirit of adoption and supplication, teaching us to cry, Abba, Father. Ps 32:6, For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee. 2. Times of danger should be praying times, and so should times of great expectation; both our fears and our hopes should put us upon prayer, and, where the interest of the church of God is deeply concerned, the hearts of the people of God in prayer should be greatly enlarged. 3. The prayers of the saints themselves stand in need of the incense and intercession of Christ to make them acceptable and effectual, and there is provision made by Christ for that purpose; he has his incense, his censer, and his altar; he is all himself to his people. 4. The prayers of the saints come up before God in a cloud of incense; no prayer, thus recommended, was ever denied audience or acceptance. 5. These prayers that were thus accepted in heaven produced great changes upon earth in return to them; the same angel that in his censer offered up the prayers of the saints in the same censer took of the fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth, and this presently caused strange commotions, voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake; these were the answers God gave to the prayers of the saints, and tokens of his anger against the world and that he would do great things to avenge himself and his people of their enemies; and now, all things being thus prepared, the angels discharge their duty.
7-13
The Seven Trumpets (95 AD)
简体中文
七号（公元95年）
⁷ 第一位天使吹号，就有雹子与火搀着血丢在地上；地的三分之一和树的三分之一被烧了，一切的青草也被烧了。 ⁸ 第二位天使吹号，就有仿佛火烧着的大山扔在海中；海的三分之一变成血， ⁹ 海中有气息的活物死了三分之一，船只也坏了三分之一。 ¹⁰ 第三位天使吹号，就有烧着的大星，好像火把从天上落下来，落在江河的三分之一和众水的泉源上。 ¹¹ 这星名叫茵陈。众水的三分之一变为茵陈，因水变苦，就死了许多人。 ¹² 第四位天使吹号，日头的三分之一，月亮的三分之一，星辰的三分之一都被击打，以致日月星的三分之一黑暗了，白昼的三分之一没有光，黑夜也是这样。 ¹³ 我又看见一个鹰飞在空中，并听见它大声说：三位天使要吹那其余的号，你们住在地上的民，祸哉！祸哉！祸哉！
请留意：一、「第一位天使吹」了第一号，随后的事件极为凄凉：「就有雹子与火搀着血」，等等（启8:7）。有一场可怕的风暴；但这当解为异端的风暴——各种怪谬的错误袭击教会（因为那个时代亚流主义盛行），还是解为落在民政国家之上的战争风暴，解经家意见不一。米德先生认为这是指公元395年哥特人的洪流冲入帝国，正是狄奥多西去世的那一年，当时北方诸族在哥特王阿拉里克率领下冲入帝国西部。无论如何，在此请留意：1. 这是一场极其可怕的风暴——火、雹子和血：何等奇异的搀杂！2. 它的界限：它落在「树的三分之一」上，又落在「草」的三分之一上，将它击打烧毁；有人说这是指「圣职人员的三分之一」和「平信徒的三分之一」；也有人按民政国家来解，指「大人物的三分之一」和「平民的三分之一」，或指罗马帝国本身——它是当时已知世界三分之一——或指那帝国三分之一的地方。即使最严厉的灾祸，也有至大的神为它们所定的界限。
二、「第二位天使吹号」，警报之后，与第一号一样随之而来可怕的事件：「就有仿佛火烧着的大山扔在海中；海的三分之一变成血」（启8:8）。有人将这山解为异端的领袖；也有人如米德先生，解为罗马城，它在137年间被哥特人和汪达尔人五次洗劫；第一次是在公元410年由阿拉里克所行，伴随大屠杀与残忍。在这些灾祸中，百姓的三分之一（此处称为海或众水聚处）被除灭：这里仍有限定在三分之一，因为「在审判之中神仍记念怜悯」。这风暴沉重地落在罗马帝国沿海商贸的城邑与邦国之上。
三、「第三位天使吹号」，警报也如前一样产生相似的效应：「就有烧着的大星，从天上落下来」，等等（启8:10）。有人将这解为一颗政治之星，某位杰出的统治者，他们将之应用于奥古斯都路，他在公元480年被迫将帝国让给奥多亚塞。也有人解为一颗教会之星，教会中某位杰出的人物，被比作「烧着的火把」，他们将之定在伯拉纠身上，他在此时成了一颗坠落的星，大大败坏了基督的众教会。请留意：1. 这星落在何处：「落在江河的三分之一和众水的泉源上」。2. 它们产生了什么影响；它将这些泉源和溪流变为茵陈，使之变得极苦，人因之中毒；或指那些作为公民自由、产权、安全之泉源的律法被专横的权柄所毒化，或指福音的教义——它们原是属灵生命、舒畅与活力的泉源——因危险的错误搀杂其中而被败坏苦化，以致人在寻求舒畅之处反而找到毁灭。
四、「第四位天使吹号」，警报之后又有进一步的灾祸。请留意：1. 这灾祸的性质；它是黑暗；因此它落在天上那些照亮世界的大光之上——「日头、月亮和星辰」，或指教会的引导者和治理者，或指国家的，他们被安置在比百姓更高的轨道上，本当向他们散发亮光与温和的影响。2. 界限：它只限于这些光体的三分之一；日间仍有日头的光，夜间也有月亮和星辰的光，却只是从前的三分之一。我们不拟在这些学人中间有争议之点上作出判断，宁可选择作这些浅显而实际的评论：（1）福音临到一个民族，若只是冷淡领受，未能对他们的心灵与生活产生应有的功效，通常会随之而来可畏的审判。（2）神在差遣审判之前，先向人发出警告；他借着所写下的话语、借着牧者、借着人自己的良心、并借着时代的征兆吹响警报；因此，若一个民族被忽然抓住，那是他们自己的过错。（3）神对一个民族的怒气在他们中间造成可怕的工作；它使一切安逸都变为苦涩，使生命本身也变得沉重苦楚。（4）神在今生并未挑起他一切的怒气，却为最可畏的审判设定界限。（5）教会中教义与敬拜的败坏本身就是大审判，也是一个民族将受其他审判的常见原因与标记。
五、在其余三号吹响之前，这里向世人发出庄严的警告，论及随之而来的灾祸将是何等可畏，它们所落下的时代与地方将是何等悲惨（启8:13）。1. 传信的是「一个鹰（天使）飞在空中」，好像急促而来，执行一项可畏的差使。2. 信息是宣告比世人迄今所受的更大更重的灾祸与之苦。这里宣告三样灾祸，为要显明将临的灾祸将远超已过的，或暗示接下来三号每一号都要引入它特定而分别的灾祸。较小的审判若不生效力，教会与世界反而在其中更坏，就必期待更大的审判。「神要借所行的审判为人所知」；他期望在刑罚世界之时，其中的居民在他面前战栗。
英語原文
The Seven Trumpets (95 AD)
⁷ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
⁸ And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
⁹ And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
¹⁰ And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
¹¹ And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
¹² And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
¹³ And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Observe, I. The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and the events which followed were very dismal: There followed hail and fire mingled with blood, etc., Re 8:7. There was a terrible storm; but whether it is to be understood of a storm of heresies, a mixture of monstrous errors falling on the church (for in that age Arianism prevailed), or a storm or tempest of war falling on the civil state, expositors are not agreed. Mr. Mede takes it to be meant of the Gothic inundation that broke in upon the empire in the year 395, the same year that Theodosius died, when the northern nations, under Alaricus, king of the Goths, broke in upon the western parts of the empire. However, here we observe, 1. It was a very terrible storm-fire, and hail, and blood: a strange mixture! 2. The limitation of it: it fell on the third part of the trees, and on the third part of the grass, and blasted and burnt it up; that is, say some, upon the third part of the clergy and the third part of the laity; or, as others who take it to fall upon the civil state, upon the third part of the great men, and upon the third part of the common people, either upon the Roman empire itself, which was a third part of the then known world, or upon a third part of that empire. The most severe calamities have their bounds and limits set them by the great God.
II. The second angel sounded, and the alarm was followed, as in the first, with terrible events: A great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood, Re 8:8. By this mountain some understand the leader or leaders of the heretics; others, as Mr. Mede, the city of Rome, which was five times sacked by the Goths and Vandals, within the compass of 137 years; first by Alaricus, in the year 410, with great slaughter and cruelty. In these calamities, a third part of the people (called here the sea or collection of waters) were destroyed: here was still a limitation to the third part, for in the midst of judgment God remembers mercy. This storm fell heavy upon the maritime and merchandizing cities and countries of the Roman empire.
III. The third angel sounded, and the alarm had the like effects as before: There fell a great star from heaven, etc., Re 8:10. Some take this to be a political star, some eminent governor, and they apply it to Augustulus, who was forced to resign the empire to Odoacer, in the year 480. Others take it to be an ecclesiastical star, some eminent person in the church, compared to a burning lamp, and they fix it upon Pelagius, who proved about this time a falling star, and greatly corrupted the churches of Christ. Observe, 1. Where this star fell: Upon a third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. 2. What effect it had upon them; it turned those springs and streams into wormwood, made them very bitter, that men were poisoned by them; either the laws, which are springs of civil liberty, and property, and safety, were poisoned by arbitrary power, or the doctrines of the gospel, the springs of spiritual life, refreshment, and vigour to the souls of men, were so corrupted and embittered by a mixture of dangerous errors that the souls of men found their ruin where they sought for their refreshment.
IV. The fourth angel sounded, and the alarm was followed with further calamities. Observe, 1. The nature of this calamity; it was darkness; it fell therefore upon the great luminaries of the heaven, that give light to the world—the sun, and the moon, and the stars, either the guides and governors of the church, or of the state, who are placed in higher orbs than the people, and are to dispense light and benign influences to them. 2. The limitation: it was confined to a third part of these luminaries; there was some light both of the sun by day, and of the moon and stars by night, but it was only a third part of what they had before. Without determining what is matter of controversy in these points among learned men, we rather choose to make these plain and practical remarks:—(1.) Where the gospel comes to a people, and is but coldly received, and has not its proper effects upon their hearts and lives, it is usually followed with dreadful judgments. (2.) God gives warning to men of his judgments before he sends them; he sounds an alarm by the written word, by ministers, by men's own consciences, and by the signs of the times; so that, if a people be surprised, it is their own fault. (3.) The anger of God against a people makes dreadful work among them; it embitters all their comforts, and makes even life itself bitter and burdensome. (4.) God does not in this world stir up all his wrath, but sets bounds to the most terrible judgments. (5.) Corruptions of doctrine and worship in the church are themselves great judgments, and the usual causes and tokens of other judgments coming on a people.
V. Before the other three trumpets are sounded here is solemn warning given to the world how terrible the calamities would be that should follow them, and how miserable those times and places would be on which they fell, Re 8:13. 1. The messenger was an angel flying in the midst of heaven, as in haste, and coming on an awful errand. 2. The message was a denunciation of further and greater woe and misery than the world had hitherto endured. Here are three woes, to show how much the calamities coming should exceed those that had been already, or to hint how every one of the three succeeding trumpets should introduce its particular and distinct calamity. If less judgments do not take effect, but the church and the world grow worse under them, they must expect greater. God will be known by the judgments that he executes; and he expects, when he comes to punish the world, the inhabitants thereof should tremble before him.
我们已经看见揭开六印时所发生的事；如今来到第七印的揭开，由此引出七号的吹响，于是一幅可畏的景象展开。多数注释家同意，七印代表从使徒时代到君士坦丁作王之间的时期，而七号则用以代表帝国基督教化之后不久敌基督的兴起。本章我们看见：一、吹号之前的序言或前奏，启 8:1-6。二、四支号的吹响，启 8:7-13，等等。