啓示錄 9 章 Revelations 9
- 馬克牧師
- Jul 9
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 8
各位平安！這一講我們要來默想《啟示錄》第九章，準備好了嗎？這一章可不是輕鬆小品，我們要進入真正的「末日景象」。
回顧一下第八章，四位天使輪番吹號，天搖地動，各種自然災難接連發生 —— 但這只是開始而已，還沒完呢。第九章更是災難升級版，難度直接再升級，進入「地獄級挑戰」模式。
這一章的災難不再是單純的自然災害，而是來自深淵、有意識、會選目標的魔鬼軍團登場啦！開場就是「無底坑的鑰匙」賜給了一顆星，然後無底坑就被打開了 —— 在猶太人的想像中，這可不是什麼RPG遊戲關卡，而是直通地獄的入口。一打開，煙霧瀰漫，像個超級大火爐一樣，地獄軍團衝過大門來到人間。
然後大隊蝗蟲登場，但這些不只是人間的蝗蟲過境。它們有毒，像蠍子一樣，還偏偏不吃植物，專門找那些沒印上帝印記的人下手。這邏輯是不是有點反生態？但也透露出這些災難是「有選擇性」的，不是隨機的。
蝗蟲過境是所有農業社會最怕的災難 —— 所有的農作物都會被啃光光，蝗蟲軍團無堅不摧，火燒也沒用，趕也趕不走，就像是開了掛的吃貨軍團。而這一波蝗蟲還「升級」成了針對人類的武器。在約珥書第一章有記載過一段可怕的懲罰：1: 4剪蟲剩下的，蝗蟲來吃；蝗蟲剩下的，蝻子來吃；蝻子剩下的，螞蚱來吃。在歷史上記載過蝗蟲過境都是比一般天災更爲可怕的。
說到蝗蟲過境，還是上帝懲罰的一個明顯的手段。第一次我們在聖經裡看到這樣的場景，是出埃及記裡，法老還在跟摩西（上帝的代表人）嘴硬的時候。蝗蟲一來，遮天蔽日，所到之處寸草不留 - 整個埃及地區一天內就陷入全地的大饑荒 —— 農作物全被吃光，人民落入苦難中。那一波蝗蟲不是開玩笑的，根本就是「上帝派的吃貨軍團」。
到了約珥書，也再次記載了蝗蟲災難，讓以色列人深刻體會到：蝗蟲一過境，不只會讓人肚子餓，更是靈裡的警鐘響起來了！這不是單純農業問題，而是屬靈層面的「警報模式」。而約翰寫的這些蝗蟲，更進化！不只是金光閃閃的蟲子，還有人臉，還有獅子的牙齒，還有鐵甲（很需要想像力，這一幅畫面真的很嚇人），還有老大登場：他們的王是無底坑的使者——名字也很可怕，希伯來話叫「亞巴頓」（意思就是「滅亡」），希臘話叫「亞波倫」（就是「毀滅」）。
簡單來說，這位老大就是「毀滅王」。不只名字很有氣勢，出場也夠震撼，專門對人出手，給那些沒有神印記的人一個「靈魂震撼教育」。上帝是用蝗蟲這個古老的懲罰象徵，來提醒我們這場屬靈戰爭的嚴肅性——這不只是自然災害，這是毀滅級的審判警鐘。
這種折磨真的比一下就死的天災還要難熬，讓人求生不得，求死不能的淒慘場景。可能是一種災病，或是饑荒的緩慢折磨，總而言之，這是一場比之前天災都更嚴重的災難。
對於這一段災難的描寫，其實是很抽象很難理解的。連很多解經學家都不敢輕易下定論。有人認為這是象徵性的自然災害，也有人有個比較歷史派的解釋——他們認為，這可能是指從東方興起的帕提亞帝國。
帕提亞可不是什麼東方小國，他們軍力強大，尤其以弓箭騎兵聞名。這些人不只騎術高超，還能在疾馳中回頭射箭，完全就是古代版的特種部隊。西方甚至流傳有一句諺語叫「A Partian Shot」—— 帕提亞的回馬箭，用來形容那種看似低調安靜，結果突然來一招致命的狠角色。
所以有些人認為，啟示錄這段可怕的蝗蟲軍團，其實就是在形容這群帕提亞軍隊。他們來勢洶洶，行軍如風，像蝗蟲一樣鋪天蓋地而來，讓人避無可避、毫無招架之力。也難怪，當時的人看到這樣的軍隊，會覺得他們根本不是人，而是地獄打開大門衝出來的怪物軍團！
才剛剛講完第五個災難，第六個災難馬上接著來——災難連發，根本沒有中場休息！
這次是第六位天使吹號，接著就有聲音從神的金壇四角傳出來。然後，有四位使者從幼發拉底河那邊被釋放出來。這四位不是什麼和平使者，而是來執行審判的。他們的任務？殺害地上三分之一的人口！
重頭戲才剛開始。第16節寫到出現了一支馬軍，數量是多少？兩億！你沒聽錯，兩萬萬！我們可能都聽過「十萬大軍」、「百萬雄師」，但「兩億大軍」？這數字都超過現代國家的總人口了，讓人光用想像就頭皮發麻。
而這些軍馬也不是普通的馬——牠們胸前像是燃燒著火焰，頭像獅子，口中還會噴出火、煙和硫磺，這三樣組合起來，不用講也知道是毀滅級的武器。更誇張的是，這些馬的尾巴像蛇一樣，尾端還帶著頭，會咬人、會傷人，簡直是生化武器加機械怪獸的組合！
約翰在這裡描寫的場景，已經超越人類的想像力了。你說這是象徵性的？還是未來真有某種軍隊會以這種方式出現？無論如何，整體畫面給我們的感覺就是：末日之戰。是一場規模龐大到極點的災難，針對地上的三分之一人口而來。
經歷過第八章的四個大災難，再加上第九章的兩個災難，總共六個，每一個都讓人覺得這根本就是世界末日在預演。
然而，就在第九章的尾聲，我們看見了一個令人感到遺憾、感到諷刺，甚至有點無奈的畫面。
第20節寫得很清楚：那些沒有被這些災難擊倒、倖存下來的人，「仍舊不悔改」自己所做的惡行。你聽清楚了嗎？這些人，眼睜睜看完了六場超級災難，見證了一波又一波毀天滅地的審判，卻還是不悔改。
這已經不是「看不懂神的作為」了，而是硬著頸項到底。甚至還繼續拜鬼魔、拜那些不能看、不能聽、不能走的偶像，還不悔改他們的兇殺、邪術、姦淫、偷竊。
這種不悔改的程度，真的是讓人搖頭。都已經「死人躺滿地、天災滿天飛」，結果人心依然硬得像磚牆。
這一段強烈地凸顯出拜偶像的危險，不只讓人看不見真理，還會讓人失去悔改的能力。正所謂「至死不悟」，「不見棺材不掉淚」，但這裡是「見了棺材也不掉淚」。在這裡做了一個最令人驚訝，也最令人嘆息的註解。
約翰在這裡其實給我們敲了個警鐘：真正的審判不是災難本身，而是人在災難之後，依然選擇無動於衷。人的執迷不悟，人的罪性，是世界末日都無法改變的堅固。
到這邊，我們看到世界已經經歷了六個大災難，許多死亡和破壞，但依然還有人不悔改。災難結束了嗎。還沒呢！還有一個第七號的天使還沒有吹呢！這個壓軸的天使和第七災是什麼呢？我們下一講繼續默想第十章的經文。感謝各位的聆聽，願上帝祝福各位。
Peace to you all!In this episode, we’re diving into Revelation Chapter 9—are you ready? This is not your light devotional fare; we're entering full-on apocalyptic mode.
Let’s quickly recap Chapter 8: four angels took turns blowing their trumpets, unleashing earthquakes and a cascade of natural disasters. But that was just the beginning. Chapter 9 cranks the disaster dial up a notch—this is what you’d call “hell-level difficulty.”
This time, it’s no longer just nature acting out. We’re dealing with conscious, targeted demonic forces. The chapter opens with a star being given the key to the “bottomless pit”—a concept in Jewish imagination that isn’t a game level but a direct portal to hell. Once opened, smoke billows out like a blazing furnace, and out comes a terrifying infernal army.
Enter the locusts. But these aren’t your everyday crop-eaters. They sting like scorpions, don’t touch plants, and go after people without God’s seal. It’s almost anti-ecological, right? But it shows that these disasters are selective, not random.
In agricultural societies, locusts were the stuff of nightmares—wiping out crops, unstoppable, unburnable, unshooable—basically a divine foodie army. And this upgraded locust swarm? Weaponized against humans. Joel 1:4 paints the horror: “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten…” Historically, locust invasions were feared more than natural disasters.
God has used locusts before as a clear punishment. Remember Exodus? Pharaoh kept resisting Moses (God’s rep), and then—bam—locusts came in like a blackout curtain. Egypt fell into instant famine. That plague wasn’t a joke—it was God’s divine devourer squad.
Joel mentions it again as a spiritual wake-up call. It wasn’t just about food—it was a spiritual alarm. And in Revelation? These locusts are next-level creepy: golden armor, human faces, lion’s teeth, iron breastplates, and leading them is a king from the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon (Destruction), and in Greek, Apollyon (Destroyer).
In short, this guy is the King of Destruction—intimidating name, dramatic entrance, and a clear mission: bring soul-shaking judgment to those without God's seal. God’s using the symbol of locusts again to remind us just how serious this spiritual war is.
And this isn’t quick death—it’s slow, tormenting pain. Could be disease or famine. Either way, it’s worse than anything before.
Now, interpreting this part is tough. Even top scholars hesitate to pin it down. Some say it’s symbolic of natural disasters. Others take a historical angle, linking it to the Parthian Empire—an eastern superpower known for its expert archers and cavalry. They even coined a phrase in the West: “A Parthian shot,” referring to a deadly surprise attack while retreating.
So some believe the terrifying locust army is actually describing the Parthian military—swift, overwhelming, unavoidable. No wonder people thought they weren’t human but hell’s own monsters.
And just as we’re reeling from the fifth disaster, boom—disaster six hits immediately. No intermission!
The sixth angel sounds his trumpet, and a voice calls out from the four horns of God’s golden altar. Four angels are released from the Euphrates—not peaceful messengers, but executioners. Their mission? Wipe out one-third of humanity.
And now comes the real showstopper: a cavalry of 200 million. You heard right—200 million! We’ve heard of “100,000 troops,” maybe even “a million warriors,” but 200 million? That’s more than the population of most countries!
These warhorses aren’t normal either: they breathe fire, smoke, and sulfur—basically apocalyptic weapons. Their tails? Snake-like with heads that bite. Sounds like a cross between bioweapons and mecha-beasts.
John’s vision here is mind-bending. Are these symbols or a literal future army? Either way, the image screams Armageddon—a colossal war targeting a third of humanity.
After the four disasters in Chapter 8 and now two more in Chapter 9—that’s six major judgments. It’s like the end of the world is in full dress rehearsal.
Yet at the end of Chapter 9, we hit a truly tragic note.
Verse 20 says: those who survived still refused to repent. Can you believe that? After six cataclysmic events, total devastation, people still won’t turn back.
This isn’t just ignorance—it’s willful defiance. They keep worshipping demons and idols—blind, deaf, and immobile—and won’t turn from their murder, sorcery, immorality, and theft.
It’s heartbreaking. With death all around and the heavens in chaos, their hearts remain as hard as brick.
John’s message hits hard: the real judgment isn’t just in the disasters—it’s in how people respond afterward. The true tragedy is a heart so stubborn that even the apocalypse won’t shake it.
So here we are—six disasters down, death and destruction everywhere, and still no repentance.Is it over?Not yet. The seventh trumpet hasn't sounded.What will it bring?We’ll find out next time when we reflect on Chapter 10.Thanks for listening, and may God bless you all.
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