啟示錄16:8-16

16:8 第四位天使把碗倒在日頭上，叫日頭能用火烤人。

16:9 人被大熱所烤，就褻瀆那有權掌管這些災的上帝之名，並不悔改將榮耀歸給上帝。

16:10 第五位天使把碗倒在獸的座位上，獸的國就黑暗了。人因疼痛就咬自己的舌頭；

16:11 又因所受的疼痛，和生的瘡，就褻瀆天上的上帝，並不悔改所行的。

16:12 第六位天使把碗倒在幼發拉底大河上，河水就乾了，要給那從日出之地所來的眾王預備道路。

16:13 我又看見三個污穢的靈，好像青蛙，從龍口、獸口並假先知的口中出來。

16:14 他們本是鬼魔的靈，施行奇事，出去到普天下眾王那裡，叫他們在上帝全能者的大日聚集爭戰。

16:15 （看哪，我來像賊一樣。那警醒、看守衣服、免得赤身而行、叫人見他羞恥的有福了！）

16:16 那三個鬼魔便叫眾王聚集在一處，希伯來話叫作哈米吉多頓。

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.  And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

******

    再一次看見人的硬心不悔改，讓人感到難受！但是上帝知道人的真正問題，透過這樣的警告，來喚醒人心，使人就願意悔改，不要像魔鬼抵擋上帝到底！

啟示錄16章

       啟示錄16:1-7   ,   啟示錄16:8-16   , 啟示錄16:17-21   ,

啟示錄16:1-7

16:1 我聽見有大聲音從殿中出來，向那七位天使說：「你們去，把盛上帝大怒的七碗倒在地上。」

16:2 第一位天使便去，把碗倒在地上，就有惡而且毒的瘡生在那些有獸印記、拜獸像的人身上。

16:3 第二位天使把碗倒在海裡，海就變成血，好像死人的血，海中的活物都死了。

16:4 第三位天使把碗倒在江河與眾水的泉源裡，水就變成血了。

16:5 我聽見掌管眾水的天使說：昔在、今在的聖者啊，你這樣判斷是公義的；

16:6 他們曾流聖徒與先知的血，現在你給他們血喝；這是他們所該受的。

16:7 我又聽見祭壇中有聲音說：是的，主上帝─全能者啊，你的判斷義哉！誠哉！

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,

 "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,

for you brought these judgments.

*************

    上帝發怒的碗傾倒下來，就像埃及人面對的十災一樣，是人難以招架的！

    所以人面對上帝時要悔改，要承認祂的主權，要愛祂進而要愛屬祂的人，不可以存這惡心悖逆上帝！

    希望人讀到這敘述時不要怪上帝殘忍，而要回頭想自己是否願意接受上帝安排好的救恩呢？信靠耶穌成為上帝的兒女！

當我讚美［盛曉玫／幸福專輯］

啟示錄15:5-8

15:5 此後，我看見在天上那存法櫃的殿開了。

15:6 那掌管七災的七位天使從殿中出來，穿著潔白光明的細麻衣（細麻衣：有古卷是寶石），胸間束著金帶。

15:7 四活物中有一個把盛滿了活到永永遠遠之上帝大怒的七個金碗給了那七位天使。

15:8 因上帝的榮耀和能力，殿中充滿了煙。於是沒有人能以進殿，直等到那七位天使所降的七災完畢了。

After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

***********

    我們常常有好奇心要窺見上帝到底是怎樣，但上帝事情尚未完成前通常是不讓我們看見。所以在這時候，我們要存敬畏的心來等候上帝，預備好自己來面對那榮耀的上帝。

    當然上帝在這裡隱藏自己是因為：「上帝的榮耀和能力，殿中充滿了煙。於是沒有人能以進殿，直等到那七位天使所降的七災完畢了。」

    然而我們要注意這七災是用比喻性的說法：「盛滿了活到永永遠遠之上帝大怒」！上帝的大怒是永遠還是短暫呢？當然是短暫的！因為詩篇的作者告訴我們：「因為，他的怒氣不過是轉眼之間；他的恩典乃是一生之久。一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。」（詩30:5）

 

    雖然如此，這怒氣是我們不能承受的，也唯有靠耶穌基督在十字架上所付的代價，才能使上帝對人的怒氣消除。所以，靠耶穌的恩典是人與上帝和好必要之條件！

啟示錄15章

    啟示錄15章1-8節  ,

   啟示錄15:1-4  , 啟示錄15章3-4節 ,

   啟示錄15:5-8    ,

啟示錄15:1-4

15:1 我又看見在天上有異象，大而且奇，就是七位天使掌管末了的七災，因為上帝的大怒在這七災中發盡了。

15:2 我看見彷彿有玻璃海，其中有火攙雜。又看見那些勝了獸和獸的像並牠名字數目的人，都站在玻璃海上，拿著上帝的琴，

15:3 唱上帝僕人摩西的歌和羔羊的歌，說：主上帝─全能者啊，你的作為大哉！奇哉！萬世（或譯：國）之王啊，你的道途義哉！誠哉！

15:4 主啊，誰敢不敬畏你，不將榮耀歸與你的名呢？因為獨有你是聖的。萬民都要來在你面前敬拜，因你公義的作為已經顯出來了。

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

 "Great and amazing are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!

 Just and true are your ways,

O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

 All nations will come

and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed."

***********

    這雖然是上帝發義怒之前的景象，但是屬上帝的族群還是在上帝面前敬拜祂，因為這一群是上帝按著祂永遠的旨意所揀選，為自己的榮耀緣故所存留的，這一群要與主同在直到永遠！

    這一群有雙重的約，於是唱著雙重的歌：「上帝僕人摩西」和「羔羊」。歌頌上帝要顯明祂的公義：「主上帝─全能者啊，你的作為大哉！奇哉！萬世（或譯：國）之王啊，你的道途義哉！誠哉！主啊，誰敢不敬畏你，不將榮耀歸與你的名呢？因為獨有你是聖的。萬民都要來在你面前敬拜，因你公義的作為已經顯出來了！」

    在這裡也看見詩歌的力量，當我們面對上帝，向上帝唱讚美的詩歌時，上帝的心意就向我們表明了！這也是禮拜中可以感受到的，也是使有限的文字與無限的上帝相遇之時，產生人對上帝的景仰與上帝對人啟示自己！這也是為甚麼聖徒要聚集起來唱詩讚美上帝的原因。