在第七印揭開前，約翰看見有四位天使在十四萬四千個「上帝的眾僕人」額上加印記－－以色列十二支派中，各支派一萬二千人(7:3－4)。約翰接著看見「沒有人能數過來，是各國、各族、各民、各方」(7:9)來的無數的人。約翰起初不明白這一大群人是誰，後來他曉得這些人「是從大患難中出來的，曾用羔羊的血把衣裳洗白淨了」(7:14)。第七印於是揭曉，有七號出現。每一號一吹響，自然界和天上就有災難發生，再次帶來：雹子、火、墜落的星、死亡、黑暗、痛苦－－這場災禍使得地上的人「求死，卻不得死」(9：6)。

        敬拜上帝確切的意思是什麼？
        對一個從未上過教會、沒有唱過詩歌，也沒有禱告過的初信者，你要如何向他解釋敬拜的定義？
        啟示錄七章十一至十二節會是一個很好的開始：「眾天使……和眾長老並四活物……在寶座前面伏於地敬拜神(如何敬拜？)，說：『阿們：頌讚、榮耀、智慧、感謝、尊貴、權柄、大力，都歸與我們的上帝，直到永永遠遠，阿們』。」
        用以上經文中提到的七要素(頌讚、榮耀、智慧、感謝、尊貴、權柄、大力)分別完成下列句子：「今天我要藉著在言語、行為、和態度上，將______歸給上帝，來敬祂。」
        今天結束時，再評估一下你做得如何。

        埃及災禍重演
        聖經註釋家很早便注意到，啟示錄所描寫的審判與摩西的時代降在埃及的十個災禍相似。細讀出埃及記七章十二節至十二章卅六節，看看在今天的經文裡，有幾個號角聲中的審判與在埃及奴役時代的災禍相「輝映」。

我們時常太專注於所從事的活動而傾向於敬拜我們的工作，在遊戲時工作，在敬拜中遊戲起來。

English

        Before the seventh seal is opened, John sees four angels place a seal upon 144,000 "servants of... God"—12,000 from each of the 12 "tribes of the children of Israel" (7:3-4). In contrast to this carefully numbered multitude, John next sees a great multitude "which no man could number," taken from "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" (7:9). John—who wonders about the identity of this vast multitude—learns these are "they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (7:14). The seventh seal is then broken, revealing seven trumpets. As each is sounded in turn, natural and heavenly disasters once again result: hail, fire, falling stars, death, darkness, torment—plagues which cause people to " seek death, [but] not find it" (9:6).

        What exactly does it mean to worship God?
How would you define worship for a new Christian who has never been to church, never sung a hymn, and never prayed before?
        A good place to begin might be Revelation 7:11-12: "And all the angels ... and the elders and the four beasts ... fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God [how?], saying 'Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.'"
        Take each of the seven elements mentioned in those verses (blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might) and use it to complete this sentence: "Today I will worship God by bringing _______ to Him in my speech, deeds, and attitudes." At day's end, evaluate how you did. And for further insight, look up the definitions of those seven words.         You might be surprised at their meanings.

        Egyptian Plagues Revisited —
        Commentators have long noted the similarity between the judgments described in Revelation, and the 10 plagues brought against Egypt in the days of Moses. Scan Exodus 7:12-12:36 and see how many of the trumpet judgments in today's reading have a counterpart in the days of Egyptian bondage.

We are often so caught up in our activities that we tend to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.