啓示錄序論 Revelations Intro
- 馬克牧師
- Jul 1
- 11 min read
Updated: Jul 16
各位平安，我們今天要開始分享一本在聖經中很難解、也非常特別的書——啟示錄。
啟示錄是一種非常獨特的文學形式，在歷史上也受到過許多不同的評價。有些神學家甚至質疑，為什麼這本書會被收錄在聖經裡？像是馬丁路德、加爾文派的慈運理這些歷史人物，都曾對它感到困惑甚至表達反感，認為這本書似乎有點莫名其妙。
但同時，也有許多人深深認同啟示錄的價值。他們認為這是一部文辭優美、充滿啟示意義的經典之作。
啟示錄充滿了豐富色彩的象徵與畫面：像是七個頭、十個角的龍，或是閃耀著寶石、瑪瑙和用黃金作為地磚的天堂；也有一些極具震撼力的毀滅性場景，彷彿在讀一部魔幻小說。同時間他也具備了很多令人反思的深刻真理，像是上帝的審判必定來臨，基督必定得勝，神的正義必得伸張等等。
那麼，啟示錄到底想表達的是什麼呢？這一系列講座中，我們會一起來探索：啟示錄該怎麼讀？我們又該如何理解這本，也許是整本聖經中最神秘的書？
好，那我們先來看看啟示錄的作者是誰？
這位作者呢，自稱是「約翰」。根據大多數學者的看法，他大概是在第一世紀末的時候寫下這本書的。那有些教會的傳統會認為，這個約翰就是耶穌的門徒、使徒約翰。
但這個說法其實有點難站得住腳。怎麼說呢？一方面是時間有點對不上——如果真的是使徒約翰的話，那他得活很久才行。另一方面呢，從寫作風格來看，啟示錄的文筆跟《約翰福音》有非常大的差別。
舉個例子，啟示錄的希臘文，不但文法有很多不正確的地方、用字很生動；而《約翰福音》的語言則是精準簡單。而且《約翰福音》的作者從頭到尾都沒有提自己的名字；但啟示錄的作者呢，開場就直接說「我－約翰就是你們的弟兄」
所以很有可能，這兩本書的「約翰」，其實是不同人。
接下來，我們可以先來了解一下啟示錄當時的歷史背景。
那個時候，其實已經是羅馬帝國開始大規模迫害基督徒的時代了。當時的皇帝像是多米田對基督徒的態度可以說是非常殘酷，簡直是用盡各種手段在逼迫。
所以在這樣的時代下，寫下啟示錄的作者，對羅馬帝國的仇恨其實是非常強烈的。你在書裡會感覺到，他幾乎把羅馬看成是終極大反派，完全就是邪惡的象徵。這時候的羅馬帝國，要求全帝國的人把皇帝 – 也就是凱撒 – 當作神明來敬拜，皇帝變成了信仰對象。而對於基督徒這只能向上帝敬拜的一群人，就變成了殺頭的理由。由於很多基督徒拒絕敬拜凱撒，給他們帶來相當大的危險。
這跟我們在讀福音書或保羅書信時看到的氛圍就很不一樣了。早期像是耶穌的時代，甚至保羅寫信的時候，羅馬帝國對基督徒的態度還算是比較寬容的。那時候的基督徒，雖然有壓力，但至少還能比較公開地傳福音，環境相對安全一些。
可是一到啟示錄的時代，當一個基督徒就變成了高風險身份，隨時有可能會被抓、被殺。所以也難怪這本書的語氣會這麼激烈、這麼有張力。
這就是啟示錄的歷史背景。
當時，不論男女老少、不論貧富階層，每個人都被迫要稱多米田Domitian (AD81-96)皇帝為「神」。這不只是一種政治表態，而是成了國家等級的政策——全國上下都得崇拜凱撒，稱他為主，稱他為神，沒有例外。
那基督徒該怎麼辦呢？
他們必須在信仰和生存之間，做出一個極其困難的選擇。如果不順從，就等於是公然挑戰羅馬帝國；但如果妥協，就等於放棄對基督的忠誠。
在這樣的壓力下，啟示錄就誕生了。
它不是一封為了恐嚇人的信，而是一封寫給受苦信徒的勸勉信。寫信的約翰，並沒有對眼前的苦難裝作沒看到——他很清楚，眼前的困境已經夠糟糕了，而更大的挑戰還在路上。但就在這樣的黑暗中，他寫下這封書信，想要鼓勵那些身處危難中的弟兄姊妹：要堅持、要信靠，因為真正的主，不是凱撒，而是坐在寶座上的羔羊耶穌基督。
那我們接下來來看看，啟示錄這本書，其實有三個特質
第一，它是一封信。這本書是寫給當時各地的教會的，特別從第二章開始，你會看到作者針對七間教會，一一提到他們的光景。有的是熱心的、有的是冷淡的，有的是受苦的、有的是妥協的。而這些內容裡頭，約翰也給了他們一些勸勉和鼓勵。這部分的提醒是歷代教會都可以反省的。
第二，啟示錄也可以被看作是一部預言書。它描述了許多「約翰所看見的異象」，講到未來會發生的事情，這就讓人聯想到舊約裡的一些先知書，像是以西結、撒迦利亞，甚至但以理書的後半段——那種充滿象徵圖像的寫法，風格非常相似。
第三，啟示錄也屬於一種類型叫做「啟示文學」。這種文學風格在當時非常流行，裡面充滿了各種神祕的異象——像是奇怪的怪物、天使、異象等等。而啟示文學的一大特色，就是它有很強烈的二元對比：善就是善，惡就是惡，中間沒有模糊地帶。這一種的文字中也有一些是用異象寫發生過的事情，是為了當時代的信徒們。所以你會看到光明與黑暗、上帝與魔鬼、天使與獸，全部都對立得非常清楚，善惡分明，毫不含糊。
最後，我們來聊聊：啟示錄到底要怎麼讀呢？
其實，讀啟示錄可以有三種不同的角度，每一種都提供了一種新的視野。
第一個方式，是把它當成一本「歷史書」來讀。就像我們前面提到的，啟示錄是在特定歷史背景下寫成的。雖然它用的是很多象徵和畫面，但其實背後反映的，是當時基督徒所面對的真實處境。透過這些意象，我們可以更了解那個時代的壓力、衝突，甚至是信仰的掙扎。
第二個方式，是把它當作一本「屬靈訓導書」。這種讀法比較像是從理想主義的角度來看，重點不在它具體描述了什麼事件，而是在它所傳達的屬靈真理。裡面談到的忠心、盼望、持守、悔改，這些訊息對歷世歷代的教會來說，其實都有提醒與鼓勵的作用。
第三種呢，就是把它當作一部「預言書」來讀。這種方式著重在它所描述的未來景象——像是基督再來、審判的到來、上帝的正義終將伸張等等。這些預言對許多信徒來說，是一種盼望、一種未來的應許。
總結來說，我們可以從「歷史」、「屬靈教導」跟「未來預言」這三個角度來讀啟示錄。不同角度會看到不同層次的亮光，也讓這本書變得既深奧又豐富。
接下來，我們來聊一個很有趣的東西——古代的「字母編碼系統」。
在希伯來文裡面，有一個叫做 Gematria 的概念。簡單來說，就是把字母當作數字來用。希伯來文有 22 個字母，每一個字母都有對應的數值：像是從 1 到 10，接下來是 20、30、40，一路到 100，再到 200、300、400。這樣的編碼方式，可以讓一個詞同時代表某個數字，或者反過來，用數字來暗示一個詞。
而在希臘文裡，也有類似的玩法。像是 Alpha 是 1，Beta 是 2，一路排到 Omega，大概是 800 左右。
在羅馬時代，這種用字母編碼的方式超流行。他們會用這種方式來開玩笑、講寓言，甚至當成一種文字遊戲來玩。所以如果你看到一段話裡藏著數字密碼，別意外——那很可能是故意設計的。
這也讓我們在讀啟示錄的時候，會發現一些「密碼感」很強的東西。最有名的例子就是——666！
大家常聽說「666 是魔鬼的數字」，但這真的是代表魔鬼本人嗎？還是，其實背後藏了一個字母編碼的秘密？如果我們用 Gematria 的邏輯，把 666 拆成字母來看，它會不會其實是在指向一個具體的人呢？
有人就曾提出：這個數字，可能就是在影射「尼祿皇帝」。這個說法我們下一段可以再深入聊聊——真的滿精彩的。
我們來舉幾個有趣的編碼例子，讓大家感受一下這種「數字語言」的魅力。
首先是「大衛」這個名字。在希伯來文裡是 דוד (David)，把這三個字母的數值加起來，剛好是 14。這就跟《馬太福音》裡講到耶穌的家譜：14代、14代、再14代，相呼應。這不是隨便的數字排列，而是有意讓人聯想到大衛王的後裔，也就是彌賽亞的身分。
再來是「耶穌」這個名字。在希臘文裡是 Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)，它的字母數值總和是 888。有一種說法認為：7 是完美的數字，那耶穌的名字是 888，代表他「比完美還更完美」！這種解讀方式雖然帶點象徵性，但真的很有意思。
最後當然就是最有名的那個數字：666。這個號稱是「獸的數字」，讓大家一聽就毛毛的。但它到底代表誰呢？這就留到我們下一段來深入解密，保證讓你大開眼界。
以上就是啟示錄的緒論，讓我們帶著這些觀點和時代背景，一起來讀這一本令人感到神秘又有趣的書信：啟示錄。感謝各位的聆聽，願上帝祝福各位。
Here’s the English translation of your full text, preserving the friendly and informative tone suitable for a podcast or lecture setting:
Hello everyone, peace to you all. Today, we’re beginning a journey into one of the most mysterious and unique books in the Bible—the Book of Revelation.
Revelation is a very distinctive literary work, and throughout history, it’s received a wide range of reactions. Some theologians have even questioned why this book was included in the Bible at all. Figures like Martin Luther and Zwingli from the Calvinist tradition were puzzled by it and even expressed dislike, feeling that the book was somewhat bizarre and out of place.
But at the same time, many people have deeply appreciated the value of Revelation. They see it as a beautifully written and profoundly meaningful book full of divine insight.
Revelation is filled with vivid symbols and imagery—like a dragon with seven heads and ten horns, or a dazzling heaven paved with gemstones, onyx, and gold. It also includes dramatic scenes of destruction that feel like something out of a fantasy novel. Yet amid all that, it conveys profound truths: God’s judgment will come, Christ will be victorious, and justice will ultimately prevail.
So, what is Revelation really trying to say? In this series of talks, we’re going to explore how to read Revelation and how to understand what may be the most mysterious book in the entire Bible.
Let’s begin by looking at the author.
The author identifies himself as “John.” According to most scholars, this book was likely written near the end of the first century. Some church traditions believe this John was the Apostle John, one of Jesus' original disciples.
But that idea is somewhat difficult to support. For one, the timeline doesn’t quite match up—if it really was the Apostle John, he would have had to live a very long life. Also, the writing style of Revelation is significantly different from the Gospel of John. For example, the Greek in Revelation has many grammatical quirks and vivid expressions, while the Gospel of John is more polished and simple in structure. Plus, the author of the Gospel never mentions his own name, while the writer of Revelation starts by saying, “I, John, your brother.”
So it’s quite possible that these were two different Johns.
Next, let’s understand the historical background of Revelation.
By the time Revelation was written, the Roman Empire had begun large-scale persecution of Christians. Emperors like Domitian were brutally oppressive, using every method possible to suppress the Christian faith.
Against this backdrop, the writer of Revelation expresses deep resentment toward the Roman Empire. You can sense it in the text—Rome is portrayed as the ultimate villain, a symbol of evil. During this period, emperor worship was enforced across the empire—everyone was required to worship Caesar as a god. For Christians, who believed they could only worship the one true God, this was a serious problem—often a life-or-death issue.
This is a stark contrast to what we see in the Gospels and Paul’s letters. Back then, under earlier Roman rule, Christians could still preach publicly, and the environment was relatively safer. But by the time of Revelation, being a Christian had become extremely dangerous—you could be arrested or killed simply for refusing to worship the emperor.
This is the historical backdrop of Revelation.
At that time, regardless of gender, age, or social class, everyone was forced to call Domitian “Lord” and worship him as a deity. This wasn’t just a symbolic gesture—it was official imperial policy. There were no exceptions.
So what were Christians supposed to do?
They had to make an incredibly hard choice between their faith and their survival. Refusing to worship Caesar meant defying the empire, but going along with it meant abandoning their loyalty to Christ.
And it was in this kind of pressure cooker that Revelation was written.
It’s not a letter meant to scare people—it’s a letter meant to encourage suffering believers. John, the author, didn’t ignore the horror of his time—he saw it clearly. He knew things were bad and about to get worse. But in the midst of that darkness, he wrote this book to give hope to fellow believers, to urge them to stand firm and trust that the true King isn’t Caesar, but the Lamb who sits on the throne—Jesus Christ.
So, what kind of book is Revelation?
Actually, Revelation has three key characteristics:
First, it’s a letter. It was written to real churches. From chapter 2 onward, you’ll see John addressing seven churches individually, describing their situations—some were zealous, some lukewarm, some suffering, and some compromising. John offers each one words of correction and encouragement. These messages are still relevant for churches today.
Second, Revelation is a prophetic book. It presents visions that John saw—things that point to the future. This links it closely with Old Testament prophetic books like Ezekiel, Zechariah, and especially the latter chapters of Daniel, all of which use vivid symbolic language.
Third, Revelation belongs to a genre called apocalyptic literature, which was very popular at the time. This kind of writing is full of intense imagery—strange creatures, angels, visions—and it strongly emphasizes the battle between good and evil. In apocalyptic texts, the line between right and wrong is drawn very clearly: there’s light and darkness, God and Satan, angels and beasts—no gray areas.
Some of these visions also symbolically describe events that had already happened, offering comfort and encouragement to believers of that time.
So, how should we read Revelation?
There are three main approaches:
As a historical record: Revelation reflects the real struggles Christians faced under Roman persecution. Even though it uses symbolic language, it helps us understand the challenges and tensions of that era.
As spiritual instruction: This approach is more idealistic. It focuses on the timeless spiritual truths in the book—messages about faithfulness, repentance, hope, and endurance. These lessons are relevant for every generation of the church.
As prophecy about the future: This focuses on the visions of Christ’s return, final judgment, and God’s ultimate justice. For many believers, these prophetic elements offer comfort and hope for the future.
In short, we can read Revelation as history, spiritual teaching, and future prophecy—each lens brings out different layers of insight, making the book both mysterious and rich.
Now, let’s talk about something fascinating—ancient letter-number codes.
In Hebrew, there’s a system called Gematria, where each letter has a numeric value. The 22 Hebrew letters are numbered: 1 to 10, then 20 to 100, and finally 200 to 400. This means a word can be read as a number—and vice versa.
The Greeks had a similar system. Alpha is 1, Beta is 2, and so on, up to Omega, which is around 800.
In the Roman world, this kind of coding was super popular. People used it in riddles, games, even satire. So if you ever see mysterious numbers in Revelation, chances are—it’s intentional.
The most famous example? 666.
We often hear “666 is the number of the Beast,” and it sounds creepy. But does it really represent the devil? Or is there a hidden message?
Some scholars believe that 666 could actually be a coded reference to Emperor Nero, using Hebrew or Greek letter-number conversion.
We’ll dig deeper into that theory in our next session—it’s seriously fascinating stuff.
But before we go, let’s look at a couple of fun Gematria examples:
The name “David” in Hebrew (דוד) adds up to 14. This ties directly to Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus—14 generations, 14 generations, 14 generations. It’s meant to highlight Jesus as the Son of David, the Messiah.
The name “Jesus” in Greek (Ἰησοῦς) adds up to 888. Since 7 is considered the number of perfection, 888 symbolically suggests that Jesus is beyond perfect—more perfect than perfect.
And of course, we’ll come back to 666 and what it might really mean.
So that wraps up our introduction to Revelation. I hope this gives you a helpful foundation as we begin reading this mysterious, rich, and deeply meaningful book together.
Thanks for listening—and may God bless you all.
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