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英文原文
In this chapter we have an account of the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets, the appearances that attended them, and the events that were to follow; the fifth trumpet (Re 9:1-12), the sixth, Re 9:13-21.
1-12
The Seven Trumpets (95 AD)
七枝號（公元95年）
¹ 第五位天使吹號，我就看見一個星從天落到地上，有無底坑的鑰匙賜給他。
² 他開了無底坑，便有煙從坑裏往上冒，好像大火爐的煙。日頭和天空都因這煙昏暗了。
³ 有蝗蟲從煙中出來，飛到地上。有能力賜給他們，好像地上蠍子的能力一樣。
⁴ 並且吩咐他們說，不可傷害地上的草和各樣青物，並一切樹木，惟獨要傷害額上沒有神印記的人。
⁵ 但不許蝗蟲害死他們，只叫他們受痛苦五個月。這痛苦就像蠍子螫人的痛苦一樣。
⁶ 在那些日子，人要求死，決不得死。願意死，死卻遠避他們。
⁷ 蝗蟲的形狀，好像預備出戰的馬一樣，頭上戴的好像金冠冕，臉面好像男人的臉面。
⁸ 頭髮像女人的頭髮，牙齒像獅子的牙齒。
⁹ 胸前有甲，好像鐵甲。他們翅膀的聲音，好像許多車馬奔跑上陣的聲音。
¹⁰ 有尾巴像蠍子，尾巴上的毒鉤能傷人五個月。
¹¹ 有無底坑的使者作他們的王。按著希伯來話，名叫亞巴頓，希臘話，名叫亞玻倫。
¹² 第一樣災禍過去了。還有兩樣災禍要來。
第五號吹響之後，當留意的事有：1. 「一個星從天落到地上」。有人認為這星代表基督教會中某位顯赫的主教、某位教會的使者；因為按著牧者被稱為星的同一說法，教會就被稱為天；然而這位是誰，解經家意見不一。有人理解為羅馬主教波尼法修三世，他靠皇帝福卡斯的支持，自封為普世主教；福卡斯在國中既是篡位的暴君，便容讓波尼法修在教會中也照樣行事，作為他諂媚的報酬。2. 這墜落的星「有無底坑的鑰匙賜給他」。他既已不再是基督的僕人，就成了敵基督，成了魔鬼的僕人；基督既從他手中收回了教會的鑰匙，便許可他作魔鬼的獄卒，將地獄的權勢釋放來攻擊基督的教會。3. 無底坑一開，「便有煙……往上冒」，使日頭和天空都昏暗了。鬼魔是黑暗的權勢；地獄是黑暗之處。魔鬼藉著蒙蔽人的眼睛、撲滅亮光與知識、推動無知與錯謬來推行他的計謀。他先欺騙人，然後毀滅人；可憐的靈魂在黑暗中跟從他，不然他們斷不敢跟從。4. 從這黑煙裏出來一群蝗蟲——埃及的災殃之一——就是由敵基督率領的魔鬼爪牙，就是敵基督各教派那一夥烏合之眾，要推動迷信、拜偶像、錯謬與殘忍；他們得了神公義的許可，有權傷害額上沒有神印記的人。5. 他們所要加的傷害不是身體上的，而是屬靈的傷害。他們不是用火與刀兵一概毀滅；樹木和青草都不可傷，他們所傷害的人也不被殺；這不是逼迫，而是在他們靈魂裏暗中下的毒與傳染，要奪去他們的純潔，再奪去他們的平安。異端是靈魂中的毒，緩慢而隱密地發作，結局卻是苦澀。6. 他們連一點也不能傷害額上有神印記的人。神揀選的、有效的、分別為聖的恩典，必保守他的百姓不致全然並最終背道。7. 賜給這些地獄差役的權勢，在時間上是有限的：「五個月」，一個確定的時期，而且只是短暫的時期，雖然多短我們不能說。福音的時期有其界限，迷惑的時代也是有限的。8. 雖然短暫，卻必極其劇烈，以致那些良心感受到這毒的惡性的人，會厭煩自己的性命（啟9:6）。「心靈憂傷，誰能承當呢？」9. 這些蝗蟲形狀極其怪異（啟9:7、8等）。他們如預備出戰的馬一般裝備齊全。（1）他們假裝大有權威，似乎穩操勝券：「頭上戴的好像金冠冕」；那不是真的，而是偽造的權威。（2）他們有智慧精明的樣子，「男人的臉面」，靈卻是鬼魔的靈。（3）他們有一切表面美麗的誘惑，要陷害並玷污人的心思——「頭髮像女人的頭髮」；他們的敬拜方式極其華麗裝飾。（4）他們雖然帶著女人的柔弱出現，卻有「獅子的牙齒」，實在是殘忍的活物。（5）他們有屬地權勢的護庇——「好像鐵甲」。（6）他們在世上發出極大的聲勢；他們從一國飛到另一國，他們行動的響聲如同帶著戰車戰馬的軍隊。（7）他們起先用美好的外貌諂媚討好人，尾巴上卻有毒鉤；他們可憎之物的杯中所盛的，起初雖甘甜，至終卻要如蛇咬、如毒蛇刺。（8）這地獄隊伍的王與統帥在此被描述：〔1〕為天使；按本性他是天使，曾是天上眾天使之一。〔2〕「無底坑的使者」；仍是天使，卻是墜落的天使，墜入無底坑——廣大無邊、無可挽回之處。〔3〕在這些地獄的境界裏，他如同君王與統治者，黑暗的權勢都在他的統帥與命令之下。〔4〕他的真名是「亞巴頓、亞玻倫——毀壞者」；因為這就是他的事業、他的計謀、他的職業，他勤勉從事，卓有成效，並以此為可怖的地獄之樂；正是為了這毀壞的工作，他差遣他的爪牙與軍隊去毀壞人的靈魂。如今我們在此看見一樣災禍的終局；一樣結束之處，另一樣便開始。
英文原文
The Seven Trumpets (95 AD)
¹ And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
² And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
³ And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
⁴ And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
⁵ And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
⁶ And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
⁷ And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
⁸ And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
⁹ And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
¹⁰ And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
¹¹ And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
¹² One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Upon the sounding of this trumpet, the things to be observed are, 1. A star falling from heaven to the earth. Some think this star represents some eminent bishop in the Christian church, some angel of the church; for, in the same way of speaking by which pastors are called stars, the church is called heaven; but who this is expositors do not agree. Some understand it of Boniface the third bishop of Rome, who assumed the title of universal bishop, by the favour of the emperor Phocas, who, being a usurper and tyrant in the state, allowed Boniface to be so in the church, as the reward of his flattery. 2. To this fallen star was given the key of the bottomless pit. Having now ceased to be a minister of Christ, he becomes the antichrist, the minister of the devil; and by the permission of Christ, who had taken from him the keys of the church, he becomes the devil's turnkey, to let loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. 3. Upon the opening of the bottomless pit there arose a great smoke, which darkened the sun and the air. The devils are the powers of darkness; hell is the place of darkness. The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men, by extinguishing light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error. He first deceives men, and then destroys them; wretched souls follow him in the dark, or they durst not follow him. 4. Out of this dark smoke there came a swarm of locusts, one of the plagues of Egypt, the devil's emissaries headed by the antichrist, all the rout and rabble of antichristian orders, to promote superstition, idolatry, error, and cruelty; and these had, by the just permission of God, power to hurt those who had not the mark of God in their foreheads. 5. The hurt they were to do them was not a bodily, but a spiritual hurt. They should not in a military way destroy all by fire and sword; the trees and the grass should be untouched, and those they hurt should not be slain; it should not be a persecution, but a secret poison and infection in their souls, which should rob them of their purity, and afterwards of their peace. Heresy is a poison in the soul, working slowly and secretly, but will be bitterness in the end. 6. They had no power so much as to hurt those who had the seal of God in their foreheads. God's electing, effectual, distinguishing grace will preserve his people from total and final apostasy. 7. The power given to these factors for hell is limited in point of time: five months, a certain season, and but a short season, though how short we cannot tell. Gospel-seasons have their limits, and times of seduction are limited too. 8. Though it would be short, it would be very sharp, insomuch that those who were made to feel the malignity of this poison in their consciences would be weary of their lives, Re 9:6. A wounded spirit who can bear? 9. These locusts were of a monstrous size and shape, Re 9:7,8, etc. They were equipped for their work like horses prepared to battle. (1.) They pretended to great authority, and seemed to be assured of victory: They had crowns like gold on their heads; it was not a true, but a counterfeit authority. (2.) They had the show of wisdom and sagacity, the faces of men, though the spirit of devils. (3.) They had all the allurements of seeming beauty, to ensnare and defile the minds of men—hair like women; their way of worship was very gaudy and ornamental. (4.) Though they appeared with the tenderness of women, they had the teeth of lions, were really cruel creatures. (5.) They had the defence and protection of earthly powers—breastplates of iron. (6.) They made a mighty noise in the world; they flew about from one country to another, and the noise of their motion was like that of an army with chariots and horses. (7.) Though at first they soothed and flattered men with a fair appearance, there was a sting in their tails; the cup of their abominations contained that which, though luscious at first, would at length bite like a serpent and sting like an adder. (8.) The king and commander of this hellish squadron is here described, [1.] As an angel; so he was by nature, an angel, once one of the angels of heaven. [2.] The angel of the bottomless pit; an angel still, but a fallen angel, fallen into the bottomless pit, vastly large, and out of which there is no recovery. [3.] In these infernal regions he is a sort of prince and governor, and has the powers of darkness under his rule and command. [4.] His true name is Abaddon, Apollyon—a destroyer, for that is his business, his design, and employment, to which he diligently attends, in which he is very successful, and takes a horrid hellish pleasure; it is about this destroying work that he sends out his emissaries and armies to destroy the souls of men. And now here we have the end of one woe; and where one ends another begins.
13-21
The Seventh Trumpet (95 AD)
第七號（公元95年）
¹³ 第六位天使吹號，我就聽見有聲音從神面前金壇的四角出來，
¹⁴ 吩咐那吹號的第六位天使說，把那捆綁在伯拉大河的四個使者釋放了。
¹⁵ 那四個使者就被釋放。他們原是預備好了，到某年某月某日某時，要殺人的三分之一。
¹⁶ 馬軍有二萬萬。他們的數目我聽見了。
¹⁷ 我在異象中看見那些馬和騎馬的，騎馬的胸前有甲如火，與紫瑪瑙，並硫磺。馬的頭好像獅子頭，有火，有煙，有硫磺，從馬的口中出來。
¹⁸ 口中所出來的火與煙，並硫磺，這三樣災殺了人的三分之一。
¹⁹ 這馬的能力，是在口裏，和尾巴上。因這尾巴像蛇，有頭用以害人。
²⁰ 其餘未曾被這些災所殺的人，仍舊不悔改自己手所作的，還是拜鬼魔，和那些不能看，不能聽，不能走，金，銀，銅，木，石的偶像。
²¹ 又不悔改他們那些凶殺，邪術，姦淫，偷竊的事。
我們在此思想這異象的序言，以及異象本身。
一、這異象的序言：「有聲音從金壇的四角出來」（啟9:13、14）。請注意：1. 教會仇敵的權勢被約束，直到神下令將他們釋放。2. 當列國罪惡滿盈、當受刑罰之時，那些先前被約束的神怒氣之器便被釋放去攻擊他們（啟9:14）。3. 神用以刑罰一個百姓的器皿，有時可能離他們很遠，以致他們毫不料到會有危險從那裏來。這四位施行神聖審判的使者被捆綁在伯拉大河，離歐洲列國極遠。此處土耳其勢力正是在此興起，看來就是這異象所記的故事。
二、異象本身：「那從前捆綁在伯拉大河的四位使者，如今被釋放了」（啟9:15、16）。請注意：1. 他們軍事行動和執行的時間，被限定於「某年某月某日某時」。預言性的時間記號我們很難明白；但總之時間被定於一個時辰——何時開始、何時終結——以及執行的程度如何，甚至達到地上居民的三分之一。神要使人的怒氣讚美他，剩下的怒氣他必約束。2. 執行這大任的軍隊被點閱，數目有馬軍「二萬萬」；至於步兵有多少，我們只能猜測。總之這告訴我們，回教帝國的軍隊將極其浩大；而事實誠然如此。3. 他們可畏的裝備和外貌（啟9:17）。馬如獅子般凶猛，急於衝入戰陣，騎在馬上的人也穿著明亮昂貴的盔甲，佩有一切武勇、熱忱和決心的標記。4. 他們在那已成為敵基督的羅馬帝國中所造成的大屠殺和荒涼：其中三分之一被殺；他們走到所受命令許可的極處，不能再進一步。5. 他們造成這樣屠殺的器械，被描述為「火、煙、硫磺」，從馬口中出來，又描述為尾巴上的毒鉤。米德先生認為這是預言大砲——那些造成如此毀滅的殘忍器械；他觀察到，這些器械是土耳其人圍攻君士坦丁堡時首先使用的，因新奇可怖，殺傷極大。然而此處似乎也暗指前文異象所提的：正如敵基督有他屬靈性質的軍隊——像蠍子一樣以錯謬和拜偶像毒害人的心思——照樣那被興起刑罰敵基督背道的土耳其人，也有他們的蠍子和毒鉤，去傷害並殺害那些曾殺害許多靈魂之人的身體。6. 請注意敵基督的世代在這些可怕審判之下的不悔改（啟9:20）；其餘未被殺的人仍不悔改，仍堅持那些神正在嚴厲刑罰的罪，那就是：（1）他們的拜偶像；他們不肯丟棄偶像，雖然這些偶像對他們毫無益處，「不能看，不能聽，不能走」。（2）他們的凶殺（啟9:21）——他們向聖徒和基督的僕人所行的。教皇制是個充滿血腥的宗教，似乎決意繼續如此。（3）他們的邪術；他們有他們的符咒、巫術，以及驅魔等類的儀式。（4）他們的淫亂；他們容讓屬靈和肉體兩方面的不潔，並在自己和別人身上推動。（5）他們的偷竊；他們用不義的手段積聚了巨額財富，損害並使許多家庭、城邑、君王和列國貧困。這些就是敵基督及其黨羽明顯的罪惡；雖然神已從天上向他們顯明他的怒氣，他們仍然頑固、剛硬、不悔改，並且是司法上的不悔改——因為他們必被毀滅。
三、從這第六號我們學到：1. 神能使教會的一個仇敵成為另一個仇敵的鞭笞和災禍。2. 那作萬軍之主的，有無數的軍隊聽他調度，以成就他自己的旨意。3. 最可畏的權勢也有為它所定的界限，不能越過。4. 當神的審判在地上之時，他盼望地上的居民悔改罪惡，學習公義。5. 在神聖審判之下的不悔改，是將要毀滅罪人的罪孽；因為神審判之處，他必得勝。
英文原文
The Seventh Trumpet (95 AD)
¹³ And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
¹⁴ Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
¹⁵ And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
¹⁶ And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
¹⁷ And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
¹⁸ By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
¹⁹ For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
²⁰ And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
²¹ Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Here let us consider the preface to this vision, and then the vision itself.
I. The preface to this vision: A voice was heard from the horns of the golden altar, Re 9:13,14. Here observe, 1. The power of the church's enemies is restrained till God gives the word to have them turned loose. 2. When nations are ripe for punishment, those instruments of God's anger that were before restrained are let loose upon them, Re 9:14. 3. The instruments that God makes use of to punish a people may sometimes lie at a great distance from them, so that no danger may be apprehended from them. These four messengers of divine judgment lay bound in the river Euphrates, a great way from the European nations. Here the Turkish power had its rise, which seems to be the story of this vision.
II. The vision itself: And the four angels that had been bound in the great river Euphrates were now loosed, Re 9:15,16. And here observe, 1. The time of their military operations and executions is limited to an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year. Prophetic characters of time are hardly to be understood by us; but in general the time is fixed to an hour, when it shall begin and when it shall end; and how far the execution shall prevail, even to a third part of the inhabitants of the earth. God will make the wrath of man praise him, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain. 2. The army that was to execute this great commission is mustered, and the number found to be of horsemen two hundred thousand thousand; but we are left to guess what the infantry must be. In general, it tells us, the armies of the Mahomedan empire should be vastly great; and so it is certain they were. 3. Their formidable equipage and appearance, Re 9:17. As the horses were fierce, like lions, and eager to rush into the battle, so those who sat upon them were clad in bright and costly armour, with all the ensigns of martial courage, zeal, and resolution. 4. The vast havoc and desolation that they made in the Roman empire, which had now become antichristian: A third part of them were killed; they went as far as their commission suffered them, and they could go no further. 5. Their artillery, by which they made such slaughter, described by fire, smoke, and brimstone, issuing out of the mouths of their horses, and the stings that were in their tails. It is Mr. Mede's opinion that this is a prediction of great guns, those instruments of cruelty which make such destruction: he observes, These were first used by the Turks at the siege of Constantinople, and, being new and strange, were very terrible, and did great execution. However, here seems to be an allusion to what is mentioned in the former vision, that, as antichrist had his forces of a spiritual nature, like scorpions poisoning the minds of men with error and idolatry, so the Turks, who were raised up to punish the antichristian apostasy, had their scorpions and their stings too, to hurt and kill the bodies of those who had been the murderers of so many souls. 6. Observe the impenitency of the antichristian generation under these dreadful judgments (Re 9:20); the rest of the men who were not killed repented not, they still persisted in those sins for which God was so severely punishing them, which were, (1.) Their idolatry; they would not cast away their images, though they could do them no good, could not see, nor hear, nor walk. (2.) Their murders (Re 9:21), which they had committed upon the saints and servants of Christ. Popery is a bloody religion, and seems resolved to continue such. (3.) Their sorceries; they have their charms, and magic arts, and rites in exorcism and other things. (4.) Their fornication; they allow both spiritual and carnal impurity, and promote it in themselves and others. (5.) Their thefts; they have by unjust means heaped together a vast deal of wealth, to the injury and impoverishing of families, cities, princes, and nations. These are the flagrant crimes of antichrist and his agents; and, though God has revealed his wrath from heaven against them, they are obstinate, hardened, and impenitent, and judicially so, for they must be destroyed.
III. From this sixth trumpet we learn, 1. God can make one enemy of the church to be a scourge and plague to another. 2. He who is the Lord of hosts has vast armies at his command, to serve his own purposes. 3. The most formidable powers have limits set them, which they cannot transgress. 4. When God's judgments are in the earth, he expects the inhabitants thereof should repent of sin, and learn righteousness. 5. Impenitency under divine judgments is an iniquity that will be the ruin of sinners; for where God judges he will overcome.
本章記述第五、第六號的吹響，伴隨而來的景象，以及隨後將要發生的事；即第五號（啟 9:1-12）與第六號（啟 9:13-21）。