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英文原文
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)
七枝號（公元95年）
¹ 羔羊揭開第七印的時候，天上寂靜約有二刻。
² 我看見那站在神面前的七位天使，有七枝號賜給他們。
³ 另有一位天使拿著金香爐來，站在祭壇旁邊。有許多香賜給他，要和眾聖徒的祈禱一同獻在寶座前的金壇上。
⁴ 那香的煙和眾聖徒的祈禱，從天使的手中一同升到神面前。
⁵ 天使拿著香爐，盛滿了壇上的火，倒在地上。隨有雷轟、大聲、閃電、地震。
⁶ 拿著七枝號的七位天使就預備要吹。
在這幾節中，我們看見吹號之前幾方面的序曲。
一、揭開最後一印。這是要引進一套新的預言圖像與事件；神的護理是一條連綿不斷的鏈子，一環扣著一環（一處終了，另一處便開始），雖然彼此在性質和時間上或有不同，卻都在神手中合成一個智慧、相連、一致的计划。
二、「天上寂靜約有二刻」。這可理解為：1. 平安的寂靜——在這段時間內沒有哀聲達到萬軍之耶和華的耳中；教會中一切平靜安穩，所以天上也是寂靜的；因為每當地上的教會因受壓迫而呼喊時，那呼喊就上達天上並在其中迴盪。或2. 等候的寂靜——有大事正在護理的輪盤上運轉，神的教會無論在天上或在地下都肅敬靜默，這正與他們相稱，要看神所行的，正如亞2:13所言：「凡有血氣的，都當在耶和華面前靜默無聲；因為他興起，從聖所出來了。」又有話說：「你們要休息，要知道我是神。」
三、號交給了要吹號的天使。天使仍被使用為神聖護理那智慧而樂意的器皿，他們從我們的救主神那裏得著了一切的材料與指示。正如眾教會的使者要吹響福音的號，天上的使者也要吹響護理的號，各人各有受派的職分。
四、為此作準備，必須先有另一位天使獻香（啟8:3）。這另一位天使很可能是主耶穌，就是教會的大祭司；他在此被描述於其祭司的職分之中，手執金香爐，又有許多香——即他自己榮耀位格裏豐滿的功勞——他要把這香「和眾聖徒的祈禱」一同獻在「金壇」、就是他的神性之上。請注意：1. 眾聖徒都是禱告的人；神的兒女沒有一個生來是啞巴的，恩典之靈總是兒子的靈和懇求的靈，教導我們呼喊「阿爸，父」。詩32:6：「為此，凡虔誠人都當趁你可尋找的時候禱告你。」2. 危險之時應當是禱告之時，大大期望之時也當如此；我們的恐懼與盼望都當催促我們禱告；而當神教會的利益深切的關涉其中，神百姓的心在禱告中也當大得開廣。3. 眾聖徒自己的禱告也需要基督的香與代求才能蒙悅納並發生功效，而基督已為此預備了；他有他的香、他的香爐、他的祭壇；他自己對他的百姓就是一切。4. 眾聖徒的禱告在香煙之中上達神前；這樣奉上的禱告，從無被拒於垂聽與悅納之外。5. 這樣在天上蒙悅納的禱告，作為回應，在地上就產生了重大的變化；那用香爐獻上聖徒祈禱的同一個天使，又用同一個香爐「盛滿了壇上的火，倒在地上」，這立刻引起了奇異的震動，「雷轟、大聲、閃電、地震」；這些就是神對聖徒祈禱的答覆，也是他向世人發怒、並要為自己和他的百姓向仇敵報復的記號；如今萬事既已備妥，天使就盡了他們的職分。
英文原文
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)
七枝號（公元95年）
⁷ 第一位天使吹號，就有雹子與火攙著血丟在地上。地的三分之一和樹的三分之一被燒了，一切的青草也被燒了。
⁸ 第二位天使吹號，就有彷彿火燒著的大山扔在海中。海的三分之一變成血。
⁹ 海中的活物死了三分之一。船隻也壞了三分之一。
¹⁰ 第三位天使吹號，就有燒著的大星，好像火把從天上落下來，落在江河的三分之一，和眾水的泉源上。
¹¹ 這星名叫茵蔯。眾水的三分之一變為茵蔯。因水變苦，就死了許多人。
¹² 第四位天使吹號，日頭的三分之一，月亮的三分之一，星辰的三分之一，都被擊打。以致日月星的三分之一黑暗了，白晝的三分之一沒有光，黑夜也是這樣。
¹³ 我又看見一個鷹飛在空中，並聽見他大聲說，三位天使要吹那其餘的號，你們住在地上的民，禍哉，禍哉，禍哉。
請注意，一、「第一位天使吹號」，隨之而來的事件十分慘烈：「就有雹子與火攙著血丟在地上」（啟8:7）。這是一場可怕的暴風；但應理解為異端的暴風——怪誕錯謬混合著落在教會之上（在那時代亞流主義盛行），還是戰爭的暴風落在屬世的國家之上，解經家意見不一。米德先生理解為主後395年——即狄奧多西崩駕之年——哥特洪流沖入帝國之事，那時北方列族在哥特王阿拉里克率領下，攻入帝國西部。然而我們於此留意：1. 這是一場十分可怕的暴風——火、雹、血：奇異的混合！2. 它的界限：落在「樹的三分之一」和「草的三分之一」上，將其擊毀燒盡；有人說這是指「聖職人員的三分之一」和「平信徒的三分之一」；另有人既理解為落在屬世國家之上，便說是「達官貴人的三分之一」和「平民的三分之一」——或是落在羅馬帝國本身（那時所知世界三分之一的部分），或是落在那帝國的三分之一之上。最嚴重的災禍，其界限和限度都是由大神所定的。
二、「第二位天使吹號」，警報之後與第一號一樣隨著可怕的事件：「就有彷彿火燒著的大山扔在海中。海的三分之一變成血」（啟8:8）。這山有人理解為異端的首領或首領們；另有人（如米德先生）理解為羅馬城，它在137年之內五次被哥特人和汪達爾人劫掠——首先在主後410年被阿拉里克所劫，殺戮殘酷。在這些災禍中，三分之一的人民（此處稱為海或諸水之聚）被毀：此處仍有限定於三分之一，因為「在審判之中，神記念憐憫」。這暴風重重地落在羅馬帝國沿海和商貿的城邑和地區之上。
三、「第三位天使吹號」，警報之後與前相同：「就有燒著的大星……從天上落下來」（啟8:10）。有人認為這是一顆政治之星，是某位顯赫的統治者，並將之應用於奧古斯都路，他在主後480年被迫將帝位讓給奧多亞塞。又有人認為這是一顆教會之星，是教會中某位顯赫之人，被比作「燒著的火把」，他們將之定為伯拉糾，他在此時期成了一顆墜落的星，大大敗壞了基督的教會。請注意：1. 這星落在何處：「落在江河的三分之一，和眾水的泉源上」。2. 對它們產生甚麼影響：它把那些泉源和河流變為茵蔯，使之極苦，叫人因而中毒；或是律法——那作為公民自由、產業和安全的泉源——被專制的權力所毒化；或是福音的教義——那作為人靈魂屬靈生命、舒暢和活力的泉源——被危險錯謬的攙雜所腐化變苦，以致人的靈魂在自己尋求舒暢之處反倒尋見了毀滅。
四、「第四位天使吹號」，警報之後隨著更多的災禍。請注意：1. 這災禍的性質；那是黑暗；因此它落在天上那賜光給世界的大光體——「日頭、月亮、星辰」之上——無論是教會的引導者和治理者，或是國家的，他們比百姓處於更高的軌道，本當向他們散發亮光和美好的影響。2. 界限：這黑暗僅限於這些光體的三分之一；無論是白日的日頭，或是夜晚的月亮和星辰，都仍有亮光，但只是從前所有的三分之一。關於這些要點上學者們的爭論，我們不予判定，倒寧可作這些明顯而實用的評論：（1）福音臨到一個百姓，若僅僅冷淡領受，並未在他們的心思和生活上產生正當的果效，通常隨之而來的就是可怖的審判。（2）神在降下審判之前先警告人；他藉著寫下的道、藉著使者、藉著人自己的良心、並藉著時代的記號發出警報；所以一個百姓若被突然攻擊，那是他們自己的過錯。（3）神向一個百姓發怒，必在其中作出可怕的工作；它使一切安慰變苦，甚至使生命本身變為苦澀沉重。（4）神在這世上並不傾盡他一切的怒氣，而是為最可怕的審判設定界限。（5）教會中教義和敬拜的敗壞，本身就是極大的審判，也是其他審判將臨到一個百姓的常見原因和記號。
五、在其餘三號吹響之前，在此對世界發出莊嚴的警告，說明隨之而來的災禍將何等可怕，落在其上的時代和地區將何等悲慘（啟8:13）。1. 傳信息的「是一個鷹飛在空中」，如匆匆而來，奉差執行可畏的使命。2. 信息是宣告更重更大的禍患和痛苦，超過世界向來所忍受的。此處有三樣禍，為要表明將來的災禍要遠超已往的，或暗示隨後三號每一號都要帶來它特有而不同的災禍。較輕的審判若不生效力，教會和世界反而在其中變得更壞，就必當預料有更大的審判。「神要因他所施的審判使人認識他」；他盼望當他來刑罰世界之時，其中的居民要在他面前戰慄。
英文原文
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.
我們已經看見揭開前六印時所發生的事；如今來到揭開第七印，這印引進了七號的吹響，一幕可怖的景象隨之展開。多數解經家同意，七印代表使徒時代與君士坦丁登位之間的時期，而七號則用以代表帝國基督教化之後一段時間敵基督的興起。本章內容如下：一、吹號之前的序言或序幕（啟 8:1-6）。二、四支號的吹響（啟 8:7-13 等）。