但以理書8:26-27

8:26 所說二千三百日的異象是真的，但你要將這異象封住，因為關乎後來許多的日子。」

8:27 於是我─但以理昏迷不醒，病了數日，然後起來辦理王的事務。我因這異象驚奇，卻無人能明白其中的意思。

The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

  And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.

*******

    天使強調這異象是真實的，但是必須暫時保密。但以理經歷完異象後生病了幾天，但還是不了解異象的涵意。

    在奇幻的異象世界中，但以理可能以為這些異象是一種「象徵」或「隱喻」。但天使向他保證，這異象是「真實的」，亦即不是比喻或隱喻，而是會確實在歷史中發生的。

    但以理說他自己無法明白異象的意思，當然，這個異象的意義我們目前已經明白了，但是但以理當時不明白。這就顯示並非所有的異象都是第一領受者就可以完全明瞭解釋的，我們也不能希望透過操練或懇求就可以理解所有的異象。因為一切都要靠聖靈主動的啟示，祂願意一切屬祂的人都明白真理。

但以理書8:20-25

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。」

但以理書8:15-19

8:15 我─但以理見了這異象，願意明白其中的意思。忽有一位形狀像人的站在我面前。

8:16 我又聽見烏萊河兩岸中有人聲呼叫說：「加百列啊，要使此人明白這異象。」

8:17 他便來到我所站的地方。他一來，我就驚慌俯伏在地；他對我說：「人子啊，你要明白，因為這是關乎末後的異象。」

8:18 他與我說話的時候，我面伏在地沉睡；他就摸我，扶我站起來，

8:19 說：「我要指示你惱怒臨完必有的事，因為這是關乎末後的定期。

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision." 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end."

18 And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, "Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.

******

    但以理希望明白異象的意思，天使加百列奉差遣來解釋異象，他對但以理說明異象的本質，並且加給但以理力量。

    「人聲呼叫」，這應該是上帝的聲音，也只有祂能夠命令天使長。「加百列」，原文意義是「上帝的戰士」、「上帝的英雄」。由以諾一書中可知加百列是一個天使長之一，也是以色列的守護天使。

    然而在這樣的時刻，但以理面伏在地沉睡。看起來人的精神力和體力相當有限，無法承受靈界異象的衝擊。天使（以及背後的上帝）體諒人的軟弱，那個「人子」的稱呼充滿了體諒的意味。還動手幫助人能振奮起來聽完啟示（雖然我們不清楚「摸他」的實際作用）。

    我們是否會忽略我們人軟弱的角色？極力要爭取去看、聽那些我們無力承受的「異象」？還是接受我們只是平凡的人，由上帝已經啟示給我們的聖經等資訊來認識上帝？

但以理書8:9-14

8:9 四角之中有一角長出一個小角，向南、向東、向榮美之地，漸漸成為強大。

8:10 牠漸漸強大，高及天象，將些天象和星宿拋落在地，用腳踐踏。

8:11 並且牠自高自大，以為高及天象之君；除掉常獻給君的燔祭，毀壞君的聖所。

8:12 因罪過的緣故，有軍旅和常獻的燔祭交付牠。牠將真理拋在地上，任意而行，無不順利。

8:13 我聽見有一位聖者說話，又有一位聖者問那說話的聖者說：「這除掉常獻的燔祭和施行毀壞的罪過，將聖所與軍旅（或譯：以色列的軍）踐踏的異象，要到幾時才應驗呢？」

8:14 他對我說：「到二千三百日，聖所就必潔淨。」

9 Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, "For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?" 14 And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state."

*******

     四角之中有一角長出一個小角，竟然挑戰上帝，破壞聖殿與獻祭制度。對照到歷史應該是西流基王朝的「安提阿哥四世」，生於西元前215年，西元前175-164年做王。他出身微寒，有十四年在羅馬當人質，也不是王位的合法繼承人。

    安提阿哥四世迫害一些宗教信仰，強迫信徒放棄他們的神祇。登基後，改名號為「神的顯現」，自以為是天神宙斯的化身。推行希臘化政策：禁止聖殿的獻祭，禁止猶太人守節期，禁止為小孩行割禮，搶奪聖殿的財物，甚至將宙斯神像立在聖殿中，並在祭壇上灑上豬血，猶太人以這種事情是最奇恥大辱的行為。後來終於造成馬喀比革命。

    歷史上這些大君王因為某些特質，帶來輝煌的成功，但過份的成功讓他們忘記自己的限制，甚至做出挑戰造物者的愚昧行為。這樣的錯誤，就不會發生在我們的身上嗎？我們要引以為鑑，以免得罪上帝。

但以理書8:5-8

8:5 我正思想的時候，見有一隻公山羊從西而來，遍行全地，腳不沾塵。這山羊兩眼當中有一非常的角。

8:6 牠往我所看見、站在河邊有雙角的公綿羊那裡去，大發忿怒，向牠直闖。

8:7 我見公山羊就近公綿羊，向牠發烈怒，牴觸牠，折斷牠的兩角。綿羊在牠面前站立不住；牠將綿羊觸倒在地，用腳踐踏，沒有能救綿羊脫離牠手的。

8:8 這山羊極其自高自大，正強盛的時候，那大角折斷了，又在角根上向天的四方（原文是風）長出四個非常的角來。

5 As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. 7 I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. 8 Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

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

    但以理看到快速的獨角公山羊，擊敗公綿羊，國力壯大，獨角折斷後，有四角長出來接替之。這是指希臘帝國，亞歷山大大帝供奉的神就是以公山羊頭為代表，他也喜歡自稱為「山羊」。西元前323年，亞歷山大遠征印度時，染上嚴重的熱病死亡。西元前301年以後，希臘帝國分成迦散達、利絲馬哥、西流基、多利買四個國家。迦散達管理馬其頓與希臘，利絲馬哥管理小亞細亞與特拉西，西流古管理敘利亞和巴比倫，多利買管轄埃及。

    這也是讓我們感覺：世界的舞台的主角是一在更替，但是上帝的國卻是漸漸在茁壯，然而上帝的國之統治者不是教宗，不是教會的牧師或長老，而是耶穌基督。在世界的國，有一天都會過去。然而上帝的國，卻永遠長存！

但以理書8章

       但以理書8:1-4   , 但以理書8:5-8   ,   但以理書8:9-14  ,  但以理書8:15-19   ,

      但以理書8:20-25  ,     但以理書8:26-27  ,