以下是上帝賜給耶穌基督的啟示,讓祂把將來要發生的事指示祂的眾奴僕。因此,祂差遣天使告訴祂的奴僕約翰。 約翰便為自己所看見的一切——上帝的道和耶穌基督做見證。 那位宣讀這預言的人和那些聽見並遵守其中內容的人有福了,因為日期近了。

問候七教會

4-5 我約翰寫信給你們亞細亞的七間教會。願昔在、今在、以後永在的上帝,祂寶座前的七靈[a]和耶穌基督賜給你們恩典和平安。耶穌基督是忠心的見證人,是首先從死裡復活的,是世上君王的首領。祂愛我們,用自己的血救我們脫離罪惡, 使我們成為祭司的國度[b]來事奉祂的父上帝。願祂得到一切榮耀和權柄,一直到永永遠遠。阿們!

看啊!祂要駕雲降臨,世人都要看見祂,包括曾經刺祂的人。地上的萬族都必因祂而哀哭。這事必定實現。阿們!

主上帝說:「我是阿拉法,我是俄梅加[c],我是昔在、今在、以後永在的全能者。」

基督的顯現

我約翰是你們的弟兄,在耶穌裡和你們患難與共、同享國度、一起忍耐。我因傳揚上帝的道、為主耶穌做見證而到了拔摩海島上。 10 主日,我被聖靈感動,聽見身後有號角般響亮的聲音說: 11 「把你所看見的寫在書上,然後送給以弗所、士每拿、別迦摩、推雅推喇、撒狄、非拉鐵非和老底嘉七間教會。」

12 我轉身看究竟是誰在對我說話,我看見七個金燈臺, 13 有一位好像人子耶穌的站在這些燈臺中間。祂長袍垂腳,金帶圍胸, 14 頭與髮白如羊毛、潔白如雪,眼睛像火焰, 15 雙腳像爐中冶煉過的銅一樣光亮,聲音如同洪濤之聲。 16 祂右手拿著七顆星,口中吐出一把兩刃的利劍,面貌如烈日放光。

17 我一看見祂,便仆倒在祂腳前,像死了一樣。祂把右手按在我身上,說:「不要害怕!我是首先的,我是末後的, 18 我是永活者。我曾經死過,但看啊,我永永遠遠活著。我掌握死亡和陰間的鑰匙。 19 所以,你要將所看見的一切——現在和將來要發生的事都記錄下來。 20 你所看見在我右手中的七顆星和七個金燈臺的奧祕是,七顆星代表七間教會的天使[d],七個燈臺代表七間教會。

Footnotes

  1. 1·4-5 七靈」指的就是聖靈,數字七代表完全,不是說有七個靈。
  2. 1·6 成為祭司的國度」或譯「成為國度,做祭司」。
  3. 1·8 阿拉法」和「俄梅加」分別是希臘文第一個和最後一個字母,故此句意即「我是始,我是終」。
  4. 1·20 天使」或譯「信使」或「使者」,下同,可能指教會的守護天使,或者是教會的領袖。

¶ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his slaves things which are convenient to do quickly, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his slave John,

who bore witness of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

¶ Blessed is he that reads and those that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

John, to the seven congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} which are in Asia: Grace be unto you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne

and from Jesus, the Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins with his own blood

and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him and those also who pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail over him. Even so, Amen.

I AM the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

¶ I John, your brother and participant in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10 I was in the Spirit in the day of the Lord and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet,

11 that said, I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and What thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} which are in Asia: unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamos and unto Thyatira and unto Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea.

12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden lampstands

13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like white wool, as the snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire

15 and his feet like unto brilliant metal as if they burned in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters.

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun when it shines in its strength.

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I AM the first and the last,

18 and he that lives and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of Hades and of death.

19 Write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which must be after these.

20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven congregations, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} and the seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}