新约 - 启示录(Revelation)第20章

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison
and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
启示录第二十章   启 20:2> 被锁起来,是要惩罚它吧…… 

  20:2 那龙并不是因惩罚而被锁起来( 20:10 ),而是要使它不能欺骗各国的人。 

  启 20:2-4> 对于千禧年的看法,众说纷纭,你的见解也许是很独持的? 

  20:2-4 这一千年就是一般所指的“千禧年”。这段时间怎样出现和在什么时候出现呢?学者们有不同的理解,主要有三种说法:后千禧年派,前千禧年派,和无千禧年派。 

  ( 1 )后千禧年派认为,千禧年是由教会在地上所引导的一千年的和平时期,就是主耶稣再来前教会的复兴期,褔音要传遍世界,基督在教会中掌权。当这一千年结束时,撒但要再一次被释放,但基督要回来把它击败,然后永远掌权。基督在千禧年之后才第二次降临。 

  ( 2 )前千禧年派也认为,这是实实在在的一千年,基督第二次降临在地上,设立祂的国度,开始祂的一千年的掌权。这段掌权时期也就是撒但被捆绑的一千年;之后,撒但才被消灭。 

  ( 3 )无千禧年派认为,这一千年并非按字面解释,而是象征基督升天和再来之间的一段时间。千禧年是基督在信徒心中和在教会里的掌权;因此这是对教会时代的另一种说法。当基督第二次降临的时候,这个千禧年时期就要结束了。 

  这些关于千禧年的不同观点,不应该导致教会的分裂和争执,因为每个观点都接纳基督教中最重要的真理──基督要再来,打败撒但,和永远掌权!不论千禧年是怎样和在什么时候出现,耶稣基督都要把所有的信徒联合起来。因此,我们不要被这一个问题弄得分裂。 

  启 20:3> 撒但既已被捆绑,为何还要释放它? 

  20:3 约翰没有说明,神为什么再一次释放撒但,但这是祂审判世界计划的一部分。可能是要把那些从心里反叛神的人显露出来,也要坚固那些向神真正忠贞的人。不论什么原因,撒但的释放必然导致所有恶魔的毁灭( 20:12-15 )。 

  启 20:5-6> 头一次的复活,第二次的死,是有什么特别意思的吗? 

  20:5-6 关于头一次复活,主要有两个不同的观点:( 1 )有些人相信,头一次的复活是灵的复活(得救时,在我们心中所成就的),千禧年是在基督第一次和第二次降临之间,我们与祂一同在灵里掌权。在这段期间,我们就是神的祭司,因为基督在我们心中执掌王权。根据这个观点,第二次复活就是所有人身体的复活,为要接受审判。( 2 )另有些人相信,第一次复活发生在撒但被隔离之后。这是信徒身体的复活,他们要和基督在地上实实在在掌权一千年。第二次复活是在千禧年之后,目的是要审判那些已经死去的非信徒。 

  启 20:6> 第二次的死,是指── 

  20:6 第二次的死是灵的死亡,是指永远的刑罚或毁灭,永远与神隔绝。(有关“火湖”,请参 19:20 ; 20:14 的注释。) 

  启 20:7-9> 列国就只有歌革和玛各两个? 

  20:7-9 歌革和玛各代表邪恶,他们结集起来与神争战。挪亚的儿子雅弗有一个儿子名叫玛各(参创 \cs15 10:2 )。以西结说歌革是反对以色列的巨大势力(参结 38-39 章)。 

  启 20:9-10> 有想过自己在蒙爱的城被撒但围困吗?若是这样,你怕吗? 

  20:9-10 这不是一场不知鹿死谁手的战争,这里并没有出现争斗。两股巨大的恶势力──那属兽的( 19:19 )和属撒但的( 20:8 ),联合起来攻击神。圣经只用了两节经文来叙述每次战役──邪恶的兽和他的军队都被擒拿,被扔在火湖里( 19:20-21 ),有烈火从天降下,消灭撒但和它那正在进袭的军队( 20:9-10 )。就神来说,就是这般容易。信徒不用怀疑和担心、无须再犹疑自己所选择的道路,如果你是与神同在,你便会跟基督一同经历这次巨大的胜利。 

  启 20:10> 撒但的终局──想像一下,哇── 

  20:10 撒但的权势并不是永远的──它绝不能逃过厄运。它从一开始便在人间进行邪恶的工作(参创 3:1-6 ),并且继续到今天。但当它被扔进火湖里去的时候,它便要被消灭。鬼魔也会从无底坑里被释放出来( 20:7 ),但它绝不会从火湖里得到释放,也再不能威胁任何人。 

  启 20:12-15> 我的言行都被记在册上?那…… 

  20:12-15 在审讯中,有很多册子揭开了。他们代表神的审判,在里面纪录了每一个人或善或恶的行为。我们不是靠行为得救,但是行为可以清楚印证我们与神的关系。生命册纪录了那些信靠基督而得蒙拯救之人的名字。 

  启 20:14> 不信靠神的就被扔进火湖里!这一刻,你想起谁来了? 

  20:14 死亡和阴间被抛进火湖里,神的审判便结束了。火湖是一切恶者──撒但、兽、假先知、鬼魔、死亡、阴间和一切名字没有记录在生命册上之人的结局,因为他们不信耶稣。在神的审判中,没有中间地带。如果不靠信心认耶稣为主,就再没有盼望,也再没有回转的机会了。──《灵修版圣经注释》