서론
제목 없음
繁體中文
영문 원문
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)
繁體中文
撒但被捆綁（主後 95 年）
¹ 我又看見一位天使從天降下，手裡拿著無底坑的鑰匙和一條大鎖鏈。 ² 他捉住那龍，就是古蛇，又叫魔鬼，也叫撒但，把牠捆綁一千年， ³ 扔在無底坑裡，將無底坑關閉，用印封上，使牠不得再迷惑列國，等到那一千年完了。以後必須暫時釋放牠。 ⁴ 我又看見幾個寶座，也有坐在上面的，有審判的權柄賜給他們。我又看見那些因為給耶穌作見證，並為神之道被斬者的靈魂，和那沒有拜過獸與獸像，也沒有在額上和手上受過牠印記之人的靈魂，他們都復活了，與基督一同作王一千年。 ⁵ 這是頭一次的復活。其餘的死人還沒有復活，直等那一千年完了。 ⁶ 在頭一次復活有分的有福了，聖潔了！第二次的死在他們身上沒有權柄。他們必作神和基督的祭司，並要與基督一同作王一千年。 ⁷ 那一千年完了，撒但必從監牢裡被釋放， ⁸ 出來要迷惑地上四方 的列國，就是歌革和瑪各，叫他們聚集爭戰。他們的人數多如海沙。 ⁹ 他們上來遍滿了全地，圍住聖徒的營與蒙愛的城，就有火從天降下，燒滅了他們。 ¹⁰ 那迷惑他們的魔鬼被扔在硫磺的火湖裡，就是獸和假先知所在的地方。他們必晝夜受痛苦，直到永永遠遠。
此處我們看見：一、關於撒但被捆綁一段時期的預言，在此期間牠的權勢將大減，而教會將比先前多得平安。撒但的權勢因福音國度在世上設立而部分被打破；又因帝國歸信基督而進一步削弱；再因奧秘的巴比倫傾覆而更受打擊；但這條蛇仍有多頭，一頭受傷，另一頭尚有餘命。此處我們看見牠的權勢進一步受到限制與削弱。請留意：1. 這捆綁撒但之工交託給了誰——交託給一位從天上來的天使。這位天使很可能不是別的，正是主耶穌基督；祂的描述很難適用於任何別位。祂是有能力捆綁那壯士，將他趕出，並搶奪他家財的那位，所以必定比他更強。2. 祂在這工作中所用的手段：祂有鎖鏈和鑰匙，有一條大鎖鏈用來捆綁撒但，又有那要把牠囚禁之處監牢的鑰匙。基督絕不缺乏合宜的權能與工具來擊碎撒但的權勢，因為祂既有天上的權能，也有陰間的鑰匙。3. 這工作的執行（啟 20:2,3）。（1）祂捉住那龍，就是古蛇，也就是魔鬼，又叫撒但。不論龍的力量還是蛇的詭詐，都不足以救牠脫離基督的手；祂抓住，就緊握不放。（2）祂把牠扔在無底坑裡，以強力並以公正的報應，將牠摔到牠自己的歸宿與監牢之中，牠本蒙允許從那裡出來擾亂教會、迷惑列國；如今牠被帶回那監牢，被鎖鏈鎖住。（3）牠被關閉，並有印封上。基督關了，就無人能開；祂憑其能力關閉，憑其權柄封上；祂的鎖與印，連鬼魔自己也不能打開。（4）我們看見撒但被囚的期限——一千年，之後牠還要被釋放**一會兒。教會要享有相當長一段時間的平安與興盛，但她一切的試煉還沒有過去。
二、關於聖徒在撒但仍被捆綁的同一段時期內作王的記載（啟 20:4-6），請留意：
1. 那些得此尊榮的是誰——是那些為基督受過苦的人，以及一切忠心依附祂、沒有受獸的印記、也沒有拜過獸像的人；就是一切保守自己不沾染外邦與教宗偶像崇拜的人。
2. 他們所蒙賜的尊榮。（1）他們從死裡復活，恢復了生命。這可按字面也可按喻意理解；他們在民政與政治意義上原已死了，如今有了政治性的復活；他們的自由與權利得以復甦並恢復。（2）寶座與審判的權柄賜給他們；他們得著極大的尊榮、影響力與權柄，我想這更可能是屬靈的而非屬世的。（3）他們與基督一同作王一千年。與基督同受苦的，也必與基督同作王；他們要在祂屬靈屬天的國度裡與祂同作王，在智慧、公義、聖潔上榮耀地與祂相似，遠超世上先前所見。這被稱為頭一次的復活，唯有那些事奉基督並為祂受苦的人才能得著。至於惡人，他們在撒但被釋放之前不會再被興起恢復權勢；這也可稱為一種復活，正如猶太人的歸正被稱為從死裡復活一般。
3. 這些神僕人的福樂在此宣告。（1）他們是有福了、聖潔了（啟 20:6）。唯有聖潔的人才能蒙福；而一切聖潔的人都必蒙福。他們在這屬靈的復活中作為初熟的果子歸於神而為聖潔，也因此蒙祂賜福。（2）他們得以免受第二次死的權勢。我們對頭一次的死是怎樣有所認識，那是可怕的；但我們不知道這第二次的死是怎樣。這必更加可怖；那是靈魂的死，是與神永遠隔絕。願主施恩，使我們永不在經歷中認識這是甚麼。那些有過屬靈復活經歷的人，已蒙拯救脫離第二次死的權勢。
三、關於教會患難捲土重來，以及另一次猛烈、卻短暫而決定性之大爭戰的記載。請留意：1. 撒但長久以來所受的限制終於撤去。只要這世界還存留，撒但在其中的權勢就不會完全被消滅；牠可以被限制和削弱，但牠總還有一些事可作，以擾亂神的百姓。2. 撒但一被釋放，就立即重操舊業，迷惑列國，藉此挑動他們與神的聖徒和僕人開戰；若不是牠先迷惑了他們，他們絕不會這樣行。他們無論在所從事的事業上（他們相信那是正義的事業，其實卻極其邪惡），還是在結局上（他們期望成功，卻必失敗），都受了迷惑。3. 牠最後的努力似乎最為猛烈。如今所容許牠的權勢似乎比先前更不受限制。牠如今獲准到地的四方招募志願兵，便組織了一支大軍，人數多如海沙（啟 20:8）。4. 這支軍隊在龍之下主要的將領，我們有所記載——歌革和瑪各。既然這軍隊是從世界各地招募而來，我們不必過分追問這些名稱所指的究竟是哪些具體的權勢。這些名稱在聖經其他地方也有出現。瑪各我們在創 10:2 讀到，他是雅弗的兒子之一，定居於稱為敘利亞之地，他的後裔由此散佈到許多地區。歌革和瑪各並提之處，我們只在結 38:2 讀到，那是一處預言，啟示錄此處借用了它的許多意象。5. 我們看見這支可畏大軍的行軍與部署（啟 20:9）：他們上來遍滿了全地，圍住聖徒的營與蒙愛的城，就是屬靈的耶路撒冷，神的百姓最寶貴的利益寄託於此，因此對他們而言是蒙愛之城。聖徒的軍隊被描繪為從城中出來、駐紮在城牆之下，為要保衛她；他們安營在耶路撒冷周圍：但敵軍人數遠勝教會的軍隊，所以他們把聖徒與他們的城都圍住了。6. 你可以看見這場爭戰及其結局的記述：有火從天上、從神那裡降下來，燒滅了敵人。歌革和瑪各的傾覆就是這樣被預言的（結 38:22）：我必用洪水、大雹、火與硫磺降雨在他與他的軍隊身上。神要以非同尋常而更直接的方式為祂的百姓爭戰這最後決定性的一戰，使勝利得以完全，並使榮耀歸於祂自己。7. 大仇敵魔鬼的定罪與刑罰：牠如今被扔進地獄，與牠兩位主要的官員——獸與假先知，即暴政與偶像崇拜——在一起；不是為期有限，而是要在那裡晝夜受痛苦，直到永永遠遠。
영문 원문
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)
繁體中文
普世的審判（公元95年）
¹¹ 我又看見一個白色的大寶座，與坐在上面的。從他面前天地都逃避，再無可見之處了。
¹² 我又看見死了的人，無論大小，都站在寶座前。案卷展開了。並且另有一卷展開，就是生命冊。死了的人都憑著這些案卷所記載的，照他們所行的受審判。
¹³ 於是海交出其中的死人。死亡和陰間也交出其中的死人。他們都照各人所行的受審判。
¹⁴ 死亡和陰間也被扔在火湖裏。這火湖就是第二次的死。
¹⁵ 若有人名字沒記在生命冊上，他就被扔在火湖裏。
魔鬼國度的徹底毀滅，很合宜地引出對審判之日的記述——那日要斷定每一個人永遠的狀態；當我們看見「這世界的王受了審判」（約16:11），我們就可以確知必有審判。這將是大日，就是「眾人都要在基督審判臺前顯露」的大日。求主幫助我們堅定相信這將來審判的道理。這道理曾使腓力斯戰慄。我們在此有它的描述，請注意：1. 我們看見「審判的寶座」和法庭，「白色的」「大的」，極其榮耀，並完全公義正直。「那藉著律例設立不義之位的寶座」，與這公義的寶座和法庭無分。2. 審判官的顯現，就是主耶穌基督；他屆時要穿上如此威嚴可畏的榮耀，以致「天地都從他面前逃避，再無可見之處」；那是整個自然架構的瓦解（彼後3:10）。3. 受審的人（啟20:12）：「死了的人，無論大小」；即老幼、卑尊、貧富。沒有人因太卑微而無才幹要交帳，也沒有人因太偉大而能逃脫這法庭的審判權；不但那些基督來時仍活著的人，連一切先前死了的人也在內；墳墓要交出人的身體，地獄要交出惡人的靈魂，海洋要交出許多似乎在其中喪失的人。4. 審判的準則被確立：「案卷展開了」。是甚麼案卷？神無所不知的案卷——他比我們的心大，知道一切（他面前有記念冊，為善為惡都記錄）；並有罪人良心的案卷，雖然從前隱藏，如今卻要展開。「另有一卷展開」——就是聖經這卷書，天上的法典，生命的準則。這卷書作為律法而展開，作為試金石，要試驗人的心和人的生活。這卷書判定權利之事；其餘的案卷則為事實之事提供證據。有人將「另一卷書」——稱為「生命冊」——理解為神永遠旨意的冊子；但那似乎不屬審判之事：在永遠的揀選上，神不是以司法者的身分行事，而是以絕對主權的自由行事。5. 受審的事項；那就是「人的行為」，他們所作的是善是惡。「人要因自己的行為或被稱義、或被定罪」；因為神雖知道他們的狀態和原則，並主要看這些，但為要在天使和人面前表明自己是公義的神，他要照他們的原則來審判他們的實行，這樣他「就顯為公義，在他判斷之時得以清正」。6. 審判和判決的結果；這要照事實的證據和審判的法則而定。凡與死亡立約、與陰間結盟的人，屆時必與他們地獄的同黨同被定罪，與他們一同被扔在火湖裏，因為按聖經所立的生命準則，他們無權得永生；但名字記在那冊子上的人（即那些因福音被稱義、被宣告無罪的人），屆時必蒙審判官稱義無罪，並要進入永生，從此不再懼怕死亡、地獄或惡人；因為這一切都一同被毀了。讓我們以查看自己照著聖經站在甚麼地位上為我們極大的關切——聖經如今是稱我們為義，還是定我們為罪？因為萬人的審判官必按那準則行事。「基督必照著福音審判萬人的隱祕事。」凡照著福音如此安排並陳明自己案件、以致預先知道自己在主的大日必被稱義的人有福了！
영문 원문
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!
有人認為本章是整卷預言中最隱晦難明的部分；其中所記載的事很可能尚未成就，因此較為穩妥的做法，是滿足於一般性的觀察，而不宜在我們的解釋上過於肯定、過於具體。此處我們看見：一、撒但被捆綁一千年（啟 20:1-3）。二、聖徒與基督同作王一千年（啟 20:4-6）。三、撒但被釋放，以及教會與歌革和瑪各的爭戰（啟 20:7-10）。四、審判的日子（啟 20:11-15 等）。