啓示錄 1章 Revelations 1
- 馬克牧師
- Jul 2
- 12 min read
Updated: Jul 17
各位平安，這一講我們開始來讀《啟示錄》的第一章。
這卷書一開始就說「耶穌基督的啟示」，意思就是——接下來我們要看到的內容，是耶穌透過他的僕人約翰所傳達出來的。約翰把自己所看見的一切，都清楚地記錄下來。
接著第三節這邊提到三件事：第一是「念這書上預言的」，第二是「聽見的」，第三是「遵守其中記載的」。簡單講，願意讀、願意聽、願意照著做的人，都是有福的。
其實這三件事，到今天對我們還是非常重要。你知道嗎？我們現在隨手就能買到聖經，手機一滑也能讀，這真的是一種很大的恩典。我們來簡單了解一下歷史你就明白了。
回頭想想初代教會那時候，情況完全不一樣。他們沒有現成的書，更別說紙張了，要讀到一封書信都不容易。而那些書信還是從使徒親自寫的，能拿到、能讀到，真的是件很不簡單的事。
到了公元四世紀初，基督教成為羅馬的國教，聖經也慢慢在大公會議中被整理出來。但那時候還沒有印刷術，所以複印聖經只能靠人工手抄。想像一下，要複印產出一本聖經多困難啊，不只要有人抄，還要有人能讀懂，還能教別人，這過程緩慢又辛苦。一直到差不多15世紀，印刷術才在歐洲發明且慢慢普及開來。
這時候有一個非常重要的人物出現了——馬丁路德。他開始了宗教改革，也做了一件非常關鍵的事：他把聖經從拉丁文翻譯成德文，而且是大家都聽得懂、看得懂的德文。以前的聖經基本上只有神職人員才能看懂，平民百姓根本無法接觸。他還開始推出大問答，小問答，對於平信徒的聖經教育內容，並且要求牧師應當在平日就對信徒們進行信仰上的教育。對於信仰的認識不應該只屬於聖職人員，而是應該屬於每一個信徒的。
從聖經被定案，到人們真正能夠自己讀、自己理解，整整過了大約1200年。你有沒有覺得，哇，這真的很漫長？
所以現在我們能夠這麼方便地拿起手機、打開電腦，就能讀聖經，而且還有中文、英文、日文、各種語言版本可以選，真的是一件非常非常特別的事。這背後，是無數人的努力和千年的歷史堆疊起來的成果。
換句話說，我們今天可以這樣自由自在地閱讀、學習聖經，誠然是一種非常大的福氣啊！
接下來，約翰就收到一個任務——要寫信給亞細亞的七個教會。
在這一段經文，也就是第四到第六節這裡，講到了幾個非常核心的真理。首先，他提到那位「今在、昔在、以後永在的神」，也就是永恆不變的上帝；然後也講到耶穌基督——這位從死裡復活、是世上君王的元首；還有，站在寶座前的「七靈」。
這段話裡，其實把整個三一神的真理講得很清楚——父、子、聖靈都有提到。而且對耶穌的描述也非常豐富，不只說他從死裡復活，還說他是誠實的見證人，是萬王之王的元首。這些稱號其實都在表明他的主權和救恩的核心地位。
但這裡有一個有趣的點——他提到「七靈」。欸？我們平常不是說聖靈只有一位嗎？怎麼這裡會說是七個靈呢？
這其實不是說有七個不同的聖靈，這一段的出處來自於以賽亞書11:2節: 耶和華的靈必住在他身上，就是使他有智慧和聰明的靈，謀略和能力的靈，知識和敬畏耶和華的靈。並不是有七個聖靈，而是有聖靈的七種恩賜。
另外一個說法是，這是象徵性的說法。聖經裡「七」常常代表完全，代表圓滿。所以這裡的「七靈」可以理解為——聖靈在神寶座前，以完全的樣式、完全的能力，運行在整個世界當中。接下來的經文裡，也對應著七個教會，賜下不同的恩賜和保護以及鼓勵。
這不只是一種詩意的描寫，也是在提醒我們，聖靈的工作是全面的、豐富的，不是一種單一的功能，而是在我們生命中帶來完全的幫助和引導。
第五節這邊有一段特別感人：他說耶穌「愛我們，用自己的血使我們脫離罪惡」。其實原文的意思更像是「洗淨」——祂的寶血不只是赦免我們的罪，而是徹底潔淨我們，讓我們重新被更新。
接著，他又說耶穌使我們成為「國民」，而且是「祂父神的祭司」。這聽起來是不是很熟？對，我們在彼得前書第二章第九節也看到過類似的話：「你們是被揀選的族類、有君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國度、是屬神的子民。」這就是我們的身份啊——不只是蒙赦免，還被揀選、被託付、要代表神去傳揚祂的榮耀。
然後來到第七節，這裡畫面感很強，他說：「看哪！祂駕雲降臨…」這一段其實有一部分來自《但以理書》第七章十三節，也和《撒迦利亞書》十二章十節有關。這些舊約預言在這裡被重新串聯起來，指向那位要再來的耶穌。
第八節也不簡單，它的出處是《以賽亞書》第九章第六節。這邊說「我是阿拉法，我是俄梅嘎」，意思是說，祂是起頭也是終結，是掌管萬有、永恆的那一位。
所以從這些經文我們就可以看得出來，寫《啟示錄》的作者約翰，他對舊約非常熟悉。他不是隨便引用，而是很有結構、很有神學深度地把舊約的預言一一串進來，讓我們知道——耶穌的救恩、祂的再來，這些都是神早就啟示的計劃，現在只是一步步實現而已。
接下來，約翰說他「在耶穌的患難、國度、忍耐裡一同有分」，這句話很有意思。他不是站在一個高高在上的位置講話，好像自己是什麼特殊的人，而是說——他跟這些教會的弟兄姊妹一樣，也是在患難中掙扎、在忍耐中堅持。他是與他們一同受苦的，是他們當中的一份子。
然後這邊提到的「七個教會」，就是：以弗所、士每拿、別迦摩、推雅推喇、撒狄、非拉鐵非，還有老底嘉。那你可能會想：「欸，怎麼沒有提到哥林多啊？歌羅西呢？不是也有很多重要的教會嗎？」
這就有一個歷史背景可以來看看了。有一種說法是，這七間教會其實剛好都位於當時羅馬帝國的一個郵政路線上，算是七個郵政中心。因為那時候還沒有現代的快遞嘛，所有的書信都得靠人手抄、靠腳走路送。如果一封信能夠先送到這些中心城市，那就比較容易被抄寫、被轉送出去，讓周圍的教會也能收到。
這樣安排，某種程度上就像是在設立分發站一樣。先送到「中心」，再從那裡擴散出去。所以雖然只寫信給這七個教會，其實目的是讓更多教會都能讀到、都能被鼓勵。你看使徒行傳保羅的宣教旅程也是類似，他走向大城市宣教，從大城市擴散往小地方的方式，會比從小地方開始回到大城市更為簡單。
接下來約翰開始描述他所看見的異象，他說：「你要把這些事情寫下來」，然後他看到「人子」的形象。
這一段描寫其實大部分都來自舊約聖經。首先是「七個金燈台」——這個畫面是不是有點熟悉？對，這個來自《出埃及記》和聖殿的設計背景。燈台在聖殿裡代表神的同在，也象徵著教會要發光。
接著，他看見了「人子」，這個稱呼本身就已經來自《但以理書》第七章第十三節，那裡提到：「我觀看，見有一位像人子的，駕著天雲而來……」還有第十章第五節，也有類似的異象描寫。
然後約翰繼續描述：「他的頭和髮白如羊毛，如雪」，這其實是從《但以理書》第七章第九節來的，那裡說「亙古常在者」——也就是神——「他的衣服潔白如雪，頭髮如純淨的羊毛」。
還有一句話說他的臉像太陽發光，這部分其實也和《出埃及記》第三十四章二十九節有關，當時摩西從山上下來，因為見過神的面，他的臉就發出光芒。
所以你看，約翰在寫這些異象時，不是隨便描述的。他非常熟悉舊約聖經，也很樂意引用舊約裡面那些對「人子」——也就是耶穌基督的預言和象徵。他把這些圖像組合在一起，不只是為了讓畫面震撼，更是想要告訴我們：這位榮耀中的耶穌，就是那位從創世以來神所應許的救主。
《啟示錄》真的是一本非常有深度、底蘊厚重的書。如果你對舊約熟悉一點，在讀這卷書的時候，你就會發現：哇，約翰真的不是隨便寫寫。他對經文的掌握、對文字的組合方式，真的可以說是非常高明。
你看他怎麼運用舊約、怎麼用短短幾句話，把深刻的真理和畫面感寫出來——那不只是震撼，也是很動人。其實很多人一開始看到《啟示錄》可能會覺得有點難懂、有點抽象，但只要你慢慢走進去，它會帶你進入一個非常豐富又優美的屬靈世界。
所以其實我們可以花更多的時間，繼續去讀、去默想、去發掘第一章裡面那些寶貴的啟示。今天我們先把第一章的部分講到這裡。
從下一講開始，我們會進入《啟示錄》第二章，也就是約翰寫給那七個教會的訊息。每一間教會，耶穌都有祂獨特的提醒和鼓勵——對他們說的話，其實對我們今天的教會也有很多值得反思的地方。
感謝各位的聆聽，我們下一講繼續分享啟示錄第二章，願上帝祝福各位。
Hello everyone, peace be with you. In this session, we begin reading Revelation Chapter 1.
From the start, this book is introduced as “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” meaning that everything we’re about to read is what Jesus revealed through His servant John. John clearly recorded what he saw.
Verse 3 mentions three actions: first, “reading the words of this prophecy”; second, “hearing them”; and third, “keeping what is written in it.” In simple terms, those who read, listen, and act are blessed.
These three things remain very important for us today. You know what? We can easily buy a Bible on a whim, or read it on our phone—what a tremendous blessing that is! Let's take a quick look at history to understand just how extraordinary this is.
Back in the time of the early Church, the situation was completely different. They had no ready-made books, no paper—so receiving even one letter was tough. And those letters came directly from the apostles, so getting and reading them was no small feat.
In the early fourth century, Christianity became the state religion of Rome, and the Bible was gradually compiled at the ecumenical councils. But there was no printing press yet, so Bibles had to be copied by hand. Imagine the difficulty of producing even a single copy—not only did someone have to write it down, but someone had to be able to read it and teach others. The process was slow and laborious. It wasn’t until about the 15th century that the printing press was invented and gradually spread across Europe.
And then an important figure emerged: Martin Luther. He began the Reformation and did something pivotal—he translated the Bible from Latin into German that ordinary people could understand. Before that, only clergy could really read the Bible; the common folk had no access. He also introduced the Large Catechism and Small Catechism for laypeople’s Bible education and urged pastors to teach believers regularly. Understanding the faith should not be for clergy only—it should belong to every believer.
From the time the Bible was finalized to the point when people could read and understand it themselves, it took about 1,200 years. Wow, that really is a long haul, isn’t it?
So today, the fact that we can so easily pick up our phone or open our computer and read the Bible in Chinese, English, Japanese, and many other languages—is truly something very special. Behind this capability lies the efforts of countless people and centuries of history.
In other words, being able to freely read and study the Bible today is indeed a tremendous blessing!
Next, John received a mission: to write to the seven churches in Asia.
In the passage of verses 4–6, several core truths are addressed. First, he mentions “the one who is, who was, and who is to come”—the eternal, unchanging God. Then he refers to Jesus Christ, the ruler who was resurrected and is the Prince of the kings of the earth. And he mentions the “seven spirits who are before His throne.”
This passage beautifully presents the doctrine of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all referenced. The descriptions of Jesus are profound: not only is He resurrected, but He is the faithful witness, the ruler of all kings. These titles affirm His sovereignty and core position in salvation.
But here’s something interesting—the “seven spirits.” You might wonder: isn’t there just one Holy Spirit? Why are there seven spirits here?
First, this echoes Isaiah 11:2: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and might, a Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” It’s not that there are seven different spirits, but that there are seven gifts or aspects of the one Spirit.
Another interpretation is symbolic: in Scripture, the number seven often represents completeness or perfection. So the “seven spirits” can be understood as the Holy Spirit in His fullness—His complete and perfect presence before God’s throne, working throughout the world. In the following chapters, this aligns with the different gifts, protections, and encouragements given to the seven churches.
This is more than poetic imagery—it reminds us that the work of the Holy Spirit is comprehensive, rich, and multifaceted. He doesn’t function in just one way, but brings full and perfect guidance and help into our lives.
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Verse 5 is especially moving: it says Jesus “loves us and by His blood has freed us from our sins.” The original meaning is more like “cleanses”—His precious blood doesn’t just forgive our sins, it thoroughly purifies us and renews us.
Then it says Jesus has made us a “kingdom” and “priests to His God and Father.” Doesn’t that sound familiar? Yes—it echoes 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” That is our identity—not only forgiven, but chosen, entrusted, called to represent God and share His glory.
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In verse 7, the imagery intensifies: “Behold, He comes with the clouds…” This partly draws from Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10. These Old Testament prophecies are reconnected here, pointing to the coming of Jesus.
Verse 8 is also profound, drawing from Isaiah 9:6: “I am the Alpha and the Omega”—the beginning and the end, the One who is in control of all and eternal.
From these passages, we can see that John—the author of Revelation—was deeply familiar with the Old Testament. He didn’t just quote randomly; he carefully and theologically wove together Old Testament prophecies to show us that Jesus’ salvation and return have always been part of God’s plan, unfolding step by step.
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John then says he shares in “the suffering, kingdom, and perseverance in Jesus.” This is profound—he isn’t speaking from an elevated position, as if he’s some kind of superman. Instead, he says: I too am with you in suffering, struggling, and persevering. He’s among them, sharing in their trials.
And then we get the list of the “seven churches”: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. You might wonder: why are Corinth and Colossae not mentioned—even though they were important?
Here’s the historical context: these seven churches were located along a major Roman postal route—they were seven “postal hubs.” In those days, without modern express delivery, letters had to be hand-copied and physically carried. So if a letter reached one of these hub cities, it could be copied and distributed to neighboring churches. This was a strategic method—send to the centers, then spread out. Paul’s missionary strategy in Acts was similar: he focused on large cities first, and then the message spread to smaller towns.
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Then John begins describing the vision and says, “Write down what you see,” and he sees the “Son of Man.”
Most of this imagery is drawn from the Old Testament. First, the “seven golden lampstands”—this is reminiscent of the tabernacle and temple design in Exodus, representing God’s presence and symbolizing the church’s calling to shine.
Next, he sees the “Son of Man,” a title from Daniel 7:13 (“I saw, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man…”), and from Daniel 10:5 as well.
Then John describes: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow”—this echoes Daniel 7:9 (“His clothing was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool”).
He also says His face shone like the sun—this comes from Exodus 34:29, when Moses came down from the mountain after seeing God’s face, and his face shone.
So you see, John wasn’t casually writing; he was deeply familiar with the Old Testament and eager to quote those images of the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He combined these images not just to create a vivid picture, but to show us: this glorious Jesus is the promised Savior, revealed from the very beginning of creation.
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Revelation is truly a book with deep, rich substance. If you have any familiarity with the Old Testament, as you read it you’ll realize: John wasn’t just writing anything. His mastery of scripture and skill with language is brilliant.
Look at how he uses the Old Testament to convey profound truths and vivid imagery in just a few words—it’s not only powerful, it’s beautiful. Many people find Revelation difficult or abstract at first, but if you take your time, it invites you into a rich and graceful spiritual world.
So we can spend more time to read, meditate, and explore the precious revelations in Chapter 1. Today, we’ll end our discussion here.
In the next session, we’ll move on to Revelation Chapter 2, where John writes messages to the seven churches. Each church receives unique encouragement and correction from Jesus—lessons that are still relevant to our churches today.
Thank you all for listening. I look forward to exploring Revelation Chapter 2 with you. May God bless you!
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