啓示錄 17 章 Revelations 17
- 馬克牧師
- Jul 17
- 10 min read
Updated: Aug 26
各位平安，這一集我們繼續來分享《啟示錄》第17章的內容。這一章和18章描述的「巴比倫」，是一個很代表當時景況、也很有屬靈象徵性的形象。我們來看看，這段經文到底想說些什麼。
這裡，約翰被天使帶到曠野之中，他看見一位坐在眾水之上的大淫婦。這婦人騎著一頭朱紅色的獸，獸身滿是褻瀆上帝的名號。這個形象，其實跟前面出現的巴比倫是一樣的，也就是當時的羅馬帝國。
羅馬，被稱為「坐在眾水之上」的城市，因為它統治了眾多的民族與海域。而這位「大淫婦」的形象，代表著她與各種異教神祇交往、與列國的政治經濟勾結。她不只是宗教腐敗的象徵，也反映出整個帝國系統的墮落。
第四節提到，這婦人穿著紫色和朱紅色的衣服，用黃金、寶石、珍珠裝飾自己，手中拿著金杯，杯中滿是污穢與可憎之物。她的額頭寫著：「大巴比倫、地上淫婦和可憎之物之母」。她喝了聖徒的血，逼迫信仰上帝的人。
對當時的信徒來說，這幅圖像是再清楚不過的。他們知道，這就是羅馬帝國——那個逼迫基督徒、表面繁華卻內部腐敗的強權。你注意到了嗎？這婦人穿的衣服是帝王之色，手上是金子與珠寶，象徵著極度的財富。但我們也記得，第六章的經文提到「一錢銀子只能買到一升麥子」，這說明了什麼？巨大的貧富差距。
羅馬帝國看似強盛，實則內部早已腐朽。《羅馬帝國衰亡史》就指出，羅馬真正的崩潰，不是來自外敵的入侵，而是來自內部的貪婪、貨幣貶值、經濟失衡。當一個帝國裡，貧富差距越來越大，百姓吃不飽飯的時候，革命自然就會發生。
接下來，天使繼續向約翰解釋這位婦人和她所騎的那頭七頭十角的獸究竟是什麼。
這裡提到，那七個頭象徵的是婦人所坐的七座山，同時也代表七位王。其中五位已經倒下，一位還在位，而另一位還沒出現——他來的時候，會短暫地存留。這頭獸也被稱為「第八位王」，但其實牠也是那七位王之一，並且要走向滅亡。
那十個角則象徵十位還未掌權的王，他們會在將來得到短暫的王權，並與這頭獸一同掌權。他們把自己的能力和權柄都交給了獸。這時，羔羊會與他們交戰，而羔羊必定得勝，因為祂是萬主之主、萬王之王，與祂同在的蒙召者、被選者、忠心的人也必得勝。
這些象徵非常密集，我們一個一個來拆解。
首先，這七頭十角的獸，重複出現在第13章，代表的是與神敵對的政權系統。而這裡的七座山，很明顯是在指羅馬——因為羅馬城就建在七座山丘之上。這個比喻在當時的讀者眼中，是非常清楚的。
而七位王中，「五位已經倒下」——這一般認為是指從屋大維（奧古斯都）開始的五位羅馬皇帝：包括提比留、加里古拉、克勞狄、尼祿等等。「一位現在還在」可能是指約翰寫這書時的在位皇帝。而「那一位還沒來的」則預示著一個短暫掌權的未來王。
特別值得注意的是，那頭「死了又活過來」的獸，讓人聯想到尼祿復活的傳說。在當時流傳著一個迷信，就是尼祿雖然死了，但會回來報仇，甚至帶領敵軍攻打羅馬。約翰借用這個傳說，把尼祿比喻為那頭「曾有，如今沒有，將來還要來」的獸，來描繪一個與神為敵的勢力。
最後提到，在尼祿死後的政權過渡期，有三位並未正式稱帝，但實際掌權的統治者，也反映了這段混亂與不穩的政治局勢。
在這段經文中，我們看到羅馬被形容為「大淫婦」。這個形容在舊約聖經中對以色列人來說是非常熟悉的，因為先知們曾多次用「淫婦」來批判以色列背離上帝、去敬拜異教神明的行為。
在聖經裡，神與祂子民的關係常被比喻成一段婚姻關係——上帝是丈夫，而祂的子民是新婦。這是一種極為親密、忠誠的連結。但當以色列人離棄耶和華，轉向偶像與異教，就如同妻子不忠、與他人苟合一樣，成了屬靈上的淫亂。
這個比喻不只是針對羅馬，也曾經用來形容尼尼微、推羅，甚至耶路撒冷自己。像在《以賽亞書》第一章21節，就說耶路撒冷原本是忠貞的城，如今竟變為妓女，說明的是那種屬靈上的墮落與背叛。
當我們違背上帝的時候，不只是觸犯了律法，更是辜負了祂的愛。因為祂愛我們，就像丈夫愛妻子一樣，甚至願意為我們捨命。而當我們選擇背叛祂，去跟世界、偶像、邪靈妥協，就如同妻子離開丈夫、投入情人懷抱一樣，是一種深深的傷害與羞辱。
在羅馬帝國時期，性道德的混亂是非常嚴重的。不但有許多異教儀式涉及性崇拜，婚姻與性別的界線也常常被模糊。這樣的文化氛圍，也正反映了經文中所描寫的「淫亂」。在歷代的哲人和歷史學家也都記載，羅馬曾經是一個相當罪惡的城市，充滿了各種污穢之物，在富麗堂皇的表象之後，充滿的是人的慾望和淫亂。但最有趣的事情是，就是在這樣的污泥之中，竟然成為了貞潔的基督教的起源之地，在這樣充滿異教和異端的地方，卻生出了最偉大的信仰。上帝的智慧是如何令人難以理解！
當我們回到現代來看，是否也能從中看見一個警示？今天的世界在情感與性關係上同樣混亂不清。當人開始輕看這些關係、隨意對待愛情與婚姻，從某種角度來說，也是在輕忽與上帝之間那份應當珍惜的盟約。
在第14節，約翰再次提到：他們要與羔羊交戰，但羔羊必定勝過他們。為什麼？因為羔羊是萬主之主、萬王之王。與祂同行的是那些被呼召、蒙揀選、忠心到底的人。
這裡，約翰不只是描述未來的屬靈戰爭，更是再次提醒當時的信徒們——要堅持到底。就算你正面對逼迫、困難、甚至死亡，也不要放棄，因為你跟隨的是那位已經得勝的羔羊。這是對當代聖徒的鼓勵，也是對我們今天信仰之路上的提醒——忠心到底，因為勝利已經屬於羔羊。
第15節接著描寫，眾水所代表的是各國、各族、各民、各方。這些曾經被淫婦（也就是羅馬）所統治、迷惑的國家，後來竟然轉過來攻擊她。他們憎恨她，使她赤身露體，境況淒涼，甚至吃她的肉、用火焚燒她。
這個畫面非常震撼。一個曾經富足、強大的帝國，曾讓列國在她面前屈膝，如今卻被自己過去的盟友出賣、反咬一口。這也對應了歷史上東方帕提亞帝國的勢力，當時的十個軍事領袖或小國的王，曾與羅馬有過軍事交集，後來成為她的敵人。
這段經文其實不只講歷史的現象，更點出一個屬靈的現實：世界的權勢終究會自相殘殺，而一切敵對上帝的體制，最後也都會走向毀滅。
即使在今天，我們仍可看見同樣的模式：地上的強國互相對抗、世界體系崩壞、價值混亂。但正如這段所啟示的，勝利不在那些看似強大的政權手裡，而在那位「萬主之主、萬王之王」的羔羊手中。
這裡其實給我們一個非常大的警示——那些基於利益、甚至與邪惡結合的同盟，最終也會因為利益談不攏而分裂。
這正是我們從那十王與獸之間的關係看見的現象。一開始他們同心合意，是為了權力與控制聯手。但到最後，他們卻反過來憎恨那個曾經依靠的淫婦，聯手毀滅她。
這在歷史中屢見不鮮，也發生在現代社會與政經體制中。只要一段關係是建立在利益的互換、策略的算計上，而非真誠與愛，這樣的結合終究是脆弱的，無法長久。
相對的，真正能夠長存、有價值的關係，是建立在「愛」之上的。這正是羔羊——耶穌基督——所帶來的核心信息：祂給我們的不是權勢、也不是交易，而是愛與救贖。
因此，當我們在教會中彼此結合，或是在任何屬靈群體中建立連結時，真正能讓這個團體站穩、走遠的，不是策略，也不是效率，而是彼此的關懷、感恩與愛的回應。
如果我們的團契、我們的教會，只是出於同工分配、目標設定，甚至只是想「辦活動」、「完成計畫」，那這樣的聯盟不會持久。但若我們是因為愛基督、也愛彼此而連結，那這個群體就能穩固，因為我們的根基是永恆的愛。
好，我們分享到這裡，《啟示錄》第17章就先告一段落了。下一講，我們會繼續來分享第18章的內容，一樣是非常精彩也發人深省的經文。
感謝各位今天的聆聽，也願上帝祝福你們！
Hello everyone, peace be with you. In this episode, we continue exploring Revelation chapter 17. Chapters 17 and 18 introduce the symbolic figure of “Babylon,” which powerfully conveys the context of the time and offers deep spiritual meaning. Let’s dive into what this passage is telling us.
John is led by an angel into a wilderness, where he sees a great harlot perched on many waters. She rides a scarlet beast whose body bears blasphemous names. This imagery echoes the Babylon mentioned earlier, symbolizing the Roman Empire of that era.
Rome is depicted as the “city seated on many waters,” signifying its dominion over numerous nations and seas. The harlot represents Rome’s entanglements with various pagan deities and its political-economic alliances with other nations. She stands not only as a symbol of religious corruption but also as a reflection of systemic moral decay.
In verse 4, the woman is described wearing purple and scarlet robes, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She holds a golden cup filled with abominations and the filth of her immorality. Inscribed on her forehead are the words: “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of Earth’s Desolations.” She has drunk the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus.
For believers of that time, this vision was unmistakably clear—it was Rome: the empire that oppressed Christians, resplendent on the surface, yet morally bankrupt within. Notice the symbolism: her attire—imperial colors, jewelry—signifies immense wealth. Yet earlier, we read in chapter 6 that “a day’s wages could only buy a quart of wheat,” highlighting the stark socioeconomic disparity.
While the Roman Empire appeared mighty, it was rotten at its core. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire argues that Rome’s collapse was driven not by external threats, but by internal factors: greed, devaluation of currency, and economic imbalance. When the gap between rich and poor widens and people go hungry, uprising becomes inevitable.
The angel then explains the identity of the beast the woman rides: a creature with seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads represent the seven hills on which the woman sits plus seven kings—five have fallen, one is still ruling, and the eighth has yet to come. The beast itself is also the eighth but will ultimately meet destruction.
The ten horns symbolize ten future kings who will receive authority for a short time and govern alongside the beast. They will hand over their power to it—not knowing that the Lamb will come and conquer them. Why will the Lamb win? Because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him—the called, chosen, and faithful—will also triumph.
These symbols are dense, so let’s unpack them step by step.
First, the beast with seven heads and ten horns reappears from chapter 13 and represents a political system opposed to God. The seven mountains clearly point to Rome, famously built on seven hills—an obvious metaphor to John’s original audience.
Regarding the seven kings: “five are fallen” likely refers to the first five emperors from Augustus onward—Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, and perhaps Galba or his successor. “One is” denotes the emperor reigning at the time John wrote Revelation. The “one who is to come” refers to a future, short-lived ruler.
Notably, the beast that “was and is not and yet is to come” might allude to the legend of Nero’s return. There was a superstition that he would come back from the dead to exact vengeance on Rome. John likely used this myth to portray a force hostile to God.
He also hints at a tumultuous transitional period after Nero’s death, when three rulers—though not true emperors—simultaneously held authority, reflecting political instability.
In this passage, Rome is portrayed as a “great harlot”—a metaphor deeply rooted in the Old Testament. The prophets often used “harlot” to criticize Israel’s spiritual adultery when she forsook the Lord for idols.
Scripture frequently depicts God’s relationship with His people as a marriage—He is the husband, and His people the bride—intended to be intimate and faithful. When the people turn to idols, it is likened to marital infidelity.
This metaphor isn’t confined to Rome; it also applied to Nineveh, Tyre, and even Jerusalem. Isaiah 1:21 laments Jerusalem’s fallen state: “Once faithful, now a harlot.” The imagery conveys spiritual loss and betrayal.
When we sin, we do more than break a law—we betray God’s love. He loves us like a husband loves his wife, even to the point of sacrificing Himself. But when we turn away to the things of this world, it's like a wife running after her lover—an act of deep hurt and shame.
During the Roman era, sexual immorality was rampant. Pagan rituals often involved sexual worship, and boundaries of sex and marriage were blurred. Ancient historians described Rome as a city glittering with vice. Remarkably, out of such moral decay emerged Christianity—the greatest faith began in a place brimming with spiritual filth. God’s wisdom is mysterious indeed!
Is there a warning for us today? Our world is similarly confused about relationships and sexuality. When society ceases to value covenant relationships and treats them casually, it reflects a disregard for the covenant between us and God.
In verse 14, John stresses that although they fight against the Lamb, the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who follow Him—the called, the chosen, the faithful—will share in His victory.
This isn’t merely prophetic imagery; it’s an encouragement to believers: face persecution and stand your ground. The One you follow has already won, so remain faithful—even unto death.
Verse 15 adds that the many waters represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. Those once captivated by the harlot (Rome) will rise up against her, strip her bare, devour her flesh, and burn her with fire. It’s a disturbing scene of betrayal—from allies to enemies.
Historically, Parthia posed a threat to Rome, and various regional kings later challenged Rome’s dominance—parallels that underscore this imagery.
These verses aren’t just historical—they’re spiritual. They reveal that earthly powers are self-destructive, and opposing the Lamb leads to certain doom. Even today, we see superpowers clashing, systems collapsing, values eroding. But ultimate victory belongs to the Lamb of God.
This narrative offers a powerful admonition: alliances built on self-interest or evil foundations will eventually fall apart. The beast and the ten kings were united by ambition, but ultimately turned against the woman they once served. History and modern examples alike confirm this pattern—partnerships rooted in strategy, not sincerity, fail.
In contrast, meaningful, lasting unity is based on love. The Lamb—Jesus Christ—gives us not power or bargains, but love and redemption.
When we connect—whether as a church or as spiritual communities—the true foundation must be care, gratitude, and love. Strategies and goals are secondary. A community focused only on agendas or activities will not endure. But if our unity flows from love for Christ and for one another, it stands firm—built on eternal, divine love.
We’ll end here for Revelation chapter 17. In the next episode, we’ll continue with chapter 18—another powerful and thought-provoking passage.
Thank you so much for tuning in today. May God bless you all!