8:20 你所看見雙角的公綿羊,就是瑪代和波斯王。
8:21 那公山羊就是希臘王(希臘:原文是雅完;下同);兩眼當中的大角就是頭一王。
8:22 至於那折斷了的角,在其根上又長出四角,這四角就是四國,必從這國裡興起來,只是權勢都不及他。
8:23 這四國末時,犯法的人罪惡滿盈,必有一王興起,面貌凶惡,能用雙關的詐語。
8:24 他的權柄必大,卻不是因自己的能力;他必行非常的毀滅,事情順利,任意而行;又必毀滅有能力的和聖民。
8:25 他用權術成就手中的詭計,心裡自高自大,在人坦然無備的時候,毀滅多人;又要站起來攻擊萬君之君,至終卻非因人手而滅亡。
As for the ram that you saw with the two
horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the goat is the king of
Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for the
horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall
arise from his nation, but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of
their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold
face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—
but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall
succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the
saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his
own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he
shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by
no human hand.
********
天使解釋公綿羊就是瑪代和波斯,公山羊就是希臘,四角就是四國,小角就是一個王將興起逼迫上帝的百姓,最後終將滅亡。
而在此談論的王,特指安提阿哥四世。「雙關的詐語」也就是「難解的謎語」,意思是「詭計多端的」。安提阿哥四世以政治手腕聞名,成功排擠自己的姪子取得王位。西元前168年,安提阿哥四世的將軍阿波羅紐以稅務官的身份進入耶路撒冷,然後乘人熟睡時殘殺耶路撒冷的居民。西元前164年安提阿哥四世突然得疾病死掉。至於到底得怎樣的病,則不同文獻有不同的記載,有說因為「精神錯亂、憂鬱症」,有說因為「腹痛」。
馬喀比革命由西元前167年12月祭司馬他提亞起來抗暴開始,西元前166年馬他提亞死後,三子猶大承接領導地位,人稱之為馬喀比打敗安提阿哥的軍隊,攻入耶路撒冷,西元前164年12月25日猶太人重新獻殿。但以理書絲毫沒有提及馬喀比革命,因此沒有人認為但以理書的成書年代晚於馬喀比革命,而且此處提及安提阿哥四世突然得疾病死掉的年代是西元前164年,這明顯是個預言。
我們可以理解這個異象是為了在安提阿哥四世治理下痛不欲生的猶太人而被啟示並記錄下來的。當我們覺得痛苦難耐時,其實上帝也知道,也會為我們預備出路,正如《林前 10:13》說的「上帝是信實的,必不叫你們受試探過於所能受的;在受試探的時候,總要給你們開一條出路,叫你們能忍受得住。」
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