讀啟示錄好似在看萬花筒，顏色、形狀、所有的圖像都不斷在變。突然間，「祭壇底下」的殉道者（6：9），變成「許多的人，沒有人能數過來，是從各國、各族、各民、各語來的，站在寶座和羔羊面前。」（7：9）算一下以色列各支派的數目是十四萬四千（4節），我說的「算」是約略地算，因為這裡是一種啟示性的異象，任何數字的意義都是象徵性的。（即或各支派的名字，都是象徵性的，因為但支派未被提及，創世記四十九章所缺的倒是瑪拿西支派）。

        這些殉道者把榮耀給上帝說：「願救恩歸與坐在寶座上我們的上帝」（10節），眾天使也都「站在寶座和眾長老並四活物的周圍」（11上），俯伏在地上敬拜上帝（11節下、12節）。

        在這一大群人中，約翰和「長老中有一位」進行了一段對話（13節）。長老問約翰是否知道這成千上萬的人是誰？然後他又代約翰回答這個問題說：「這些人是從大患難中出來的」（14節上），「曾用羔羊的血把衣裳洗白淨了」（14下）。現在，「羔羊必牧養他們」（17節）。第一位殉道者耶穌，祂犧牲了生命，使他們可以活著，也要「領他們到生命水的泉源」（17下）。羔羊就是我們的好牧人。

        上帝啊！感謝您，因耶穌基督這位羔羊所流的血，洗淨了我們一切的罪。感謝您這位好牧人，也是我們的大祭司，時刻看顧我們的生活，謝謝您的大愛。奉主耶穌基督的名，阿們！

English

        Reading Revelation is like looking through a kaleidoscope. The colours, the patterns, the overall picture keeps changing — it seems in constant flux. Suddenly, the martyrs "under the altar" of 6:9 are now "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (7:9). Numbered among them are "144,000 from all the tribes of Israel" (v.4). — I say "numbered" loosely, for we're reading about an apocalyptic vision here, and any number's value is symbolic. (Even the naming of "all the tribes" bows to symbolism in this case, for the tribe of Dan is not mentioned. Instead of Dan is Manasseh —see Genesis 49.)

        As the martyrs glorify God — "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb" (v.10) — the angels "around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures" (v.lla) fall down and worship (v.llb, 12).

        In the middle of all this, a dialogue occurs between two people: John and "one of the elders" (v.!3a). The elder asks John if he knows who these countless thousands are. Then he answers the question himself, telling John that "these are they who have come out of the great tribulation" (v.!4a). They "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (v.!4b). And now, "the Lamb...will be their shepherd" (v.17). That first martyr, Jesus, who gave His life that they might live "will lead them to springs of living water" (v.!7b). The Lamb is a Shepherd.

        Lord, thank You for the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb, that cleanses us from all sin. And thank You for our Good Sheperd and our Great High Priest, Jesus, who cares for us, His sheep.