啟示錄5:11-14

5:11 我又看見且聽見，寶座與活物並長老的周圍有許多天使的聲音；他們的數目有千千萬萬，

5:12 大聲說：曾被殺的羔羊是配得權柄、豐富、智慧、能力、尊貴、榮耀、頌讚的。

5:13 我又聽見在天上、地上、地底下、滄海裡，和天地間一切所有被造之物，都說：但願頌讚、尊貴、榮耀、權勢都歸給坐寶座的和羔羊，直到永永遠遠！

5:14 四活物就說：「阿們！」眾長老也俯伏敬拜。

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,  saying with a loud voice,       

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

  And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,       

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

  And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

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    在這裡看見基督如同上帝受到崇拜，除了祂本是與父同等，更因為祂所做的，因為祂順服了父上帝的旨意，為拯救世人脫離罪孽而死在十字架上。然上帝卻讓祂從死裡復活，重新獲得一切的權柄，並且被上帝高舉到與上帝同等。

    而耶穌被高舉，不僅自己被高舉，人性也被高舉。凡蒙耶穌基督拯救的人，將來也要與基督一同坐王，直到永遠！

    所以，將來上帝國的實現，是按照上帝形像被造的人，得榮的時候！

啟示錄5:1-8

5:1 我看見坐寶座的右手中有書卷，裡外都寫著字，用七印封嚴了。

5:2 我又看見一位大力的天使大聲宣傳說：「有誰配展開那書卷，揭開那七印呢？」

5:3 在天上、地上、地底下，沒有能展開、能觀看那書卷的。

5:4 因為沒有配展開、配觀看那書卷的，我就大哭。

5:5 長老中有一位對我說：「不要哭！看哪，猶大支派中的獅子，大衛的根，他已得勝，能以展開那書卷，揭開那七印。」

5:6 我又看見寶座與四活物，並長老之中有羔羊站立，像是被殺過的，有七角七眼，就是上帝的七靈，奉差遣往普天下去的。

5:7 這羔羊前來，從坐寶座的右手裡拿了書卷。

5:8 他既拿了書卷，四活物和二十四位長老就俯伏在羔羊面前，各拿著琴和盛滿了香的金爐；這香就是眾聖徒的祈禱。

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”  And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.  And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

  And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

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    這裡讓我們看見耶穌基督的兩個形象：猶大支派中的獅子、被殺過的羔羊。這兩個形象都是說明：耶穌基督的得勝！因著得勝，就可以打開「寶座的右手中有書卷，裡外都寫著字，用七印封嚴了」。

    而這卷書就是上帝要啟示給眾聖徒的書，要人透過這書得永生！並且這書也是天上禮拜時要被打開的書，而天上的禮拜是與地上禮拜相連結，因為「四活物和二十四位長老就俯伏在羔羊面前，各拿著琴和盛滿了香的金爐；這香就是眾聖徒的祈禱」。

    所以，地上的禮拜是讓我們與天上禮拜連結，一樣是尊榮上帝，不是自我表現或討人喜歡。

啟示錄4:9-11

4:9 每逢四活物將榮耀、尊貴、感謝歸給那坐在寶座上、活到永永遠遠者的時候，

4:10 那二十四位長老就俯伏在坐寶座的面前敬拜那活到永永遠遠的，又把他們的冠冕放在寶座前，說：

4:11 我們的主，我們的上帝，你是配得榮耀、尊貴、權柄的；因為你創造了萬物，並且萬物是因你的旨意被創造而有的。

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,  the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

  “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

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    這是在天上的禮拜，這也告訴我們禮拜的中心是上帝，禮拜是要將榮耀歸給上帝。而且是將上帝賜給我們的來尊榮上帝，正如四活物的敬拜：「榮耀、尊貴、感謝歸給那坐在寶座上、活到永永遠遠者」，之後換二十四位長老，俯伏在坐寶座的面前敬拜那活到永永遠遠的，又把他們的冠冕放在寶座前。

    長老的「冠冕」是上帝所賜的，正如我們的「恩賜」是上帝所賜的，是要我們來服事上帝用。因為，上帝不喜悅人獻「凡火」。但是人偏偏喜歡表現自己的虔誠，而獻「凡火」。以為只要有一顆服事的心，就會蒙福。殊不知上帝要人先順服，先悔改，先被上帝的話更新生命，才能事奉上帝。

    主啊！求祢教導我們，如何敬拜祢，才能蒙祢悅納，才能真正將榮耀歸給祢！我們知道這樣的敬拜要有耶穌基督成為中保，以耶穌基督所完成的，呈現在上帝面前。因為，有罪的我們必須先靠基督寶血，才能手潔心清，如此才能事奉祢！

啟示錄4:6-7

4:6 寶座前好像一個玻璃海，如同水晶。寶座中和寶座周圍有四個活物，前後遍體都滿了眼睛。

4:7 第一個活物像獅子，第二個像牛犢，第三個臉面像人，第四個像飛鷹。

and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.      

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.

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    這是上帝寶座前的描述，尤其是說到四活物，讓人聯想到舊約以西結書的描述，使人感受到上帝的寶座，的確是使徒約翰真真看見，不是他自己所捏造的敘述。

    也因此，約翰的啟示是可信的，的確是從上帝來的！

啟示錄4:5

有閃電、聲音、雷轟從寶座中發出；又有七盞火燈在寶座前點著；這七燈就是上帝的七靈。

From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,

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    這裡的「閃電、聲音、雷轟」，使我們感受到上帝的威嚴，如同在西奈山麓一般。

    的確，上帝有祂的威嚴和不可侵犯性，因為祂是神聖的上帝，人在祂面前只能俯伏下來，敬拜祂、尊崇祂！

    求主幫助，讓我們被祂的威嚴所震驚，知道要來信靠祂！