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。