揭開第七印

羔羊揭開第七印時,天上寂靜無聲,約半小時。 然後,我看見站在上帝面前的七位天使領受了七支號角。

另一位天使手裡拿著金香爐上前來,站在祭壇旁邊。他接過了許多香,把香和眾聖徒的祈禱一起獻在寶座前的金壇上。 這香發出的煙,連同眾聖徒的禱告從那天使的手中向上升,直達上帝面前。 天使又拿著香爐,盛滿祭壇的火,將它倒在地上,於是有雷鳴、巨響、閃電和地震。

天使吹號

這時,那七位拿著號角的天使也預備要吹號。

第一位天使吹響號角的時候,冰雹和火攙雜著血從天上傾盆而下。地的三分之一、樹木的三分之一和一切的青草都被燒毀了。

第二位天使吹號的時候,一座好像燃燒的大山被丟進海裡。海洋的三分之一變成了血, 海中的活物死了三分之一,船隻也被毀了三分之一。

10 第三位天使吹號的時候,有一顆好像火炬般燃燒著的巨星從天上墜落在三分之一的江河溪流和水泉裡。 11 這顆星名叫「苦艾」,它使三分之一的水都變苦了,許多人因為喝了這種苦水而死去。

12 第四位天使吹號的時候,太陽、月亮和星辰的三分之一都受到重擊,以致失去了光輝,於是日間的三分之一黯淡無光,夜間也是如此。 13 我又看見有一隻鷹在半空中飛翔,聽見牠大聲宣告:「有禍了!有禍了!世上的居民有禍了!還有三位天使要吹響號角。」

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When the Lamb opened (A)the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels (B)who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood (C)at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with (D)the prayers of all the saints on (E)the golden altar before the throne, and (F)the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and (G)filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and (H)there were peals of (I)thunder, rumblings,[a] flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The Seven Trumpets

Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed (J)hail and (K)fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a (L)third of the earth was burned up, and a third of (M)the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like (N)a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea (O)became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of (P)the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and (Q)a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on (R)the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood.[b] A third of the waters (S)became wormwood, and many people died from the water, (T)because it had been made bitter.

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of (U)the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, (V)“Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 8:5 Or voices, or sounds
  2. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the bitter-tasting extract derived from it

Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

When(A) He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (B)And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, (C)and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with (D)the prayers of all the saints upon (E)the golden altar which was before the throne. And (F)the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And (G)there were noises, thunderings, (H)lightnings, (I)and an earthquake.

So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck

The first angel sounded: (J)And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown (K)to the [a]earth. And a third (L)of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

Then the second angel sounded: (M)And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, (N)and a third of the sea (O)became blood. (P)And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck

10 Then the third angel sounded: (Q)And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, (R)and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 (S)The name of the star is Wormwood. (T)A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

12 (U)Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day [b]did not shine, and likewise the night.

13 And I looked, (V)and I heard an [c]angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, (W)“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 8:7 NU, M add and a third of the earth was burned up
  2. Revelation 8:12 had no light
  3. Revelation 8:13 NU, M eagle

The Lamb opens the last seal

The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Then it became completely quiet in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Someone gave them seven trumpets.

Then another angel came. He stood at the altar where people offered gifts to God. He had a gold bowl to put incense in. He received a lot of incense and he burned it as a gift to God. It made a nice smell and it mixed with the prayers of God's people. The angel offered the incense and the prayers on the gold altar that was in front of God's throne.[a] When he did that, the smoke from the incense went up in front of God. The prayers of God's people also went up to God. Then the angel took the gold bowl and he filled it with fire from the altar. Then he threw it all down onto the earth. There were loud noises and the sound of thunder. There was bright lightning, like a very bad storm. The earth shook with an earthquake.

The first four trumpets

Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to make a noise with their trumpets. The first angel made a sound with his trumpet. Strong rain with stones of ice fell on the earth. The rain was mixed with fire and blood and it poured down. It burned a third of the earth. It destroyed a third of the trees and all the green grass.

Then the second angel made a sound with his trumpet. I saw something like a very big mountain that was burning with fire. This mountain fell down into the sea. A third of the sea became blood. A third of the animals that lived in the sea died. It also destroyed a third of the ships on the sea.

10 Then the third angel made a sound with his trumpet. I saw a very big star, which was burning with a bright light. It fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and the springs of water. 11 The name of the star means ‘It tastes bad’. A third of the water on the earth became bad. Many people died because they drank that bad water.

12 Then the fourth angel made a sound with his trumpet. A third of the sun became dark. A third of the moon and a third of the stars also became dark. There was no light for a third of the day and there was no light for a third of the night.[b]

13 Then I looked up. I saw an eagle that was flying high in the sky above me. I heard it say with a loud voice, ‘Great trouble! Great trouble! Yes, great trouble is coming to the people who live on the earth! Very bad things will happen when the other three angels make a sound with their trumpets!’

Footnotes

  1. 8:3 Many years before Jesus came to this earth, God spoke to Israel's people. He told them to build a special house for him. In this house they worshipped God and they offered gifts to him. There was a very big altar where the priests burned animals and other gifts for God. See Exodus 27:1-8. And there was a small gold altar where they burned incense. See Exodus 30:1-9.
  2. 8:12 The troubles that the first four trumpets bring destroy a third of the earth. That means one part out of every three parts. They also destroy the same amount of the sea, the rivers and the light. So these troubles do not destroy everything. They do not cause the end of this world.