Revelation 1 1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and I was told, "Come and measure the 然后给了我一根长芦苇,当作测量杖说:"你起来,去测量天主的圣殿和祭坛,计算在殿内朝拜的人! 2 But exclude the outer court 2 of the temple; do not measure it, for it has been handed over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 圣殿外面的庭院要除外,不要测量,因为已交给了异民;他们必要践踏圣城,共四十二个月。 3 I will commission my two witnesses 3 to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth." 可是,我要打发我的两位见证人,穿着苦衣,做先知劝人,共一千二百六十天。" 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands 4 that stand before the Lord of the earth. 这两位就是立在大地的主宰前的那两棵橄榄树,和那两座灯台。 5 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. 假使有人想谋害他们,必有火从他们的口中射出,吞灭他们的仇人;所以谁若想谋害他们,必定这样被杀。 6 They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish. 他们具有关闭上天的权柄,以致在他们尽先知任务的时日内,不叫雨下降;对水也有权柄,能使水变血;几时他们愿意,就能以各种灾祸打击大地。 7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss 6 will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them. 当他们一完成了自己作见证的职分,那从深渊中上来的巨兽,要同他们作战,且战胜他们,杀死他们。 8 Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, 7 which has the symbolic names "Sodom" and "Egypt," where indeed their Lord was crucified. 他们的尸体要被抛弃在大城的街市上--这城的寓意名字叫作索多玛和埃及,他们的主子也曾在此地被钉在十字架上-- 9 8 Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried. 由各民族、各支派、各异语、各邦国来的人,要观看他们的尸体三天半之久,且不许把他们安葬在坟墓里。 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth. 地上的居民必要因他们的死而高兴欢乐,彼此送礼,因为那两位先知实在磨难了地上的居民。 11 But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. 过了三天半,由天主来的生气进入了他们身内,他们就立足站了起来,凡看见的人,都起了大恐怖。 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here." So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on. 以后,他们二人听见从天上来的大声音向他们说:"上这里来罢!"他们遂乘着云彩升了天,他们的仇人也看见了。 13 At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell in ruins. Seven thousand people 9 were killed during the earthquake; the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 正在那个时辰,发生了大地震,那城倒塌了十分之一,因地震而死的人就有七千名;其余的人都害怕起来,就归光荣于天上的天主。 14 The second woe has passed, but the third is coming soon. 第二个灾祸过去了;看,第三个灾祸快要来了。 15 10 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to his Anointed, and he will reign forever and ever." 第七位天使一吹号角,天上就发出大声音说:"世上的王权已归属我们的上主,和他的基督,他要为王,至于无穷之世!" 16 The twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones before God prostrated themselves and worshiped God 那在天主前坐在自己宝座上的二十四位长老,遂俯伏在地,朝拜天主, 17 and said: "We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, who are and who were. For you have assumed your great power and have established your reign. 说:"上主,全能的天主!今在,昔在者!我们称谢你,因为你取得了你的大权,登上了王位。 18 The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who fear your name, the small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." 异民发了怒,可是你的震怒也到了,就是审判死者,赏报你的众仆先知、圣徒,以及敬畏你名字的大者小者的时候到了,并且也到了消灭那毁坏大地之人的时候。" 19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm. 那时,天主在天上的圣殿敞开了,天主的约柜也在他的圣殿中显出来了;紧接着便有闪电、响声、雷霆、地震和大冰雹。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1] The temple and altar symbolize the new 2 [2] The outer court: the Court of the Gentiles. Trample . . . forty-two months: the duration of the vicious persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Daniel 7:25; 12:7); this persecution of three and a half years (half of seven, counted as 1260 days in Rev 11:3; 12:6) became the prototype of periods of trial for God's people; cf Luke 4:25; James 5:17. The reference here is to the persecution by the Romans; cf Introduction. 3 [3] The two witnesses, wearing sackcloth symbolizing lamentation and repentance, cannot readily be identified. Do they represent Moses and Elijah, or the Law and the Prophets, or Peter and Paul? Most probably they refer to the universal church, especially the Christian martyrs, fulfilling the office of witness (two because of Deut 19:15; cf Mark 6:7; John 8:17). 4 [4] The two olive trees and the two lampstands: the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord; the imagery is taken from Zechariah 4:8-14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua. 5 [5-6] These details are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (Exodus 7:17-20), and of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-40; 2 Kings 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (1 Kings 17:1; cf 18:1). 6 [7] The beast . . . from the abyss: the Roman emperor Nero, who symbolizes the forces of evil, or the antichrist (Rev 13:1, 8; 17:8); cf Daniel 7:2-8, 11-12, 19-22 and Introduction. 7 [8] The great city: this expression is used constantly in Rev for Babylon, i.e., Rome; cf Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:2, 10, 21. "Sodom" and "Egypt": symbols of immorality (cf Isaiah 1:10) and oppression of God's people (cf Exodus 1:11-14). Where indeed their Lord was crucified: not the geographical but the symbolic Jerusalem that rejects God and his witnesses, i.e., Rome, called Babylon in Rev 16-18; see the note on Rev 17:9 and Introduction. 8 [9-12] Over the martyrdom (Rev 11:7) of the two witnesses, now called prophets, the ungodly rejoice for three and a half days, a symbolic period of time; see the note on Rev 11:2. Afterwards they go in triumph to heaven, as did Elijah (2 Kings 2:11). 9 [13] Seven thousand people: a symbolic sum to represent all social classes (seven) and large numbers (thousands); cf Introduction. 10 [15-19] The seventh trumpet proclaims the coming of God's reign after the victory over diabolical powers; see the note on Rev 10:7. |