新約聖經 和合本
啟示錄 第十二章
1天上現出大異象來:有一個婦人身披日頭,腳踏月亮,頭戴十二星的冠冕。
2他懷了孕,在生產的艱難中疼痛呼叫。
3天上又現出異象來:有一條大紅龍,七頭十角;七頭上戴著七個冠冕。
4他的尾巴拖拉著天上星辰的三分之一,摔在地上。龍就站在那將要生產的婦人面前,等他生產之後,要吞喫他的孩子。
5婦人生了一個男孩子,是將來要用鐵杖轄管(轄管:原文是牧)萬國的;他的孩子被提到神寶座那裡去了。
6婦人就逃到曠野,在那裡有神給他豫備的地方,使他被養活一千二百六十天。
7在天上就有了爭戰。米迦勒同他的使者與龍爭戰,龍也同他的使者去爭戰,
8並沒有得勝,天上再沒有他們的地方。
9大龍就是那古蛇,名叫魔鬼,又叫撒但,是迷惑普天下的。他被摔在地上,他的使者也一同被摔下去。
10我聽見在天上有大聲音說:我神的救恩、能力、國度、並他基督的權柄,現在都來到了!因為那在我們神面前晝夜控告我們弟兄的,已經被摔下去了。
11弟兄勝過他,是因羔羊的血和自己所見證的道。他們雖至於死,也不愛惜性命。
12所以,諸天和住在其中的,你們都快樂罷!只是地與海有禍了!因為魔鬼知道自己的時候不多,就氣忿忿的下到你們那裡去了。
13龍見自己被摔在地上,就逼迫那生男孩子的婦人。
14於是有大鷹的兩個翅膀賜給婦人,叫他能飛到曠野,到自己的地方,躲避那蛇;他在那裡被養活一載二載半載。
15蛇就在婦人身後,從口中吐出水來,像河一樣,要將婦人沖去。
16地卻幫助婦人,開口吞了從龍口吐出來的水(原文作河)。
17龍向婦人發怒,去與他其餘的兒女爭戰,這兒女就是那守神誡命、為耶穌作見證的。那時龍就站在海邊的沙上。
Compile starting 17th December 2002.
Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
She was soon to give birth, and the pains and suffering of childbirth made her cry out.
Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads.
With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born.
The she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod. But the child was snatched away and taken to God and his throne.
The woman fled to the desert, to a place God had prepared for her, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels;
but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer.
The huge dragon was thrown out--that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as king! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused our brothers day and night has been thrown out of heaven.
Our brothers won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.
And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left."
When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he began to pursue the woman who has given birth to the boy.
She was given the two wings of a large eagle in order to fly to her place in the desert, where she will be taken care of for three and a half years, safe from the dragon's attack.
And then from his mouth the dragon poured out a flood of water after the woman, so that it would carry her away.
But the earth helped the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth.
The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendents, all those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus.
And the dragon stood on the seashore.
King James Version
12:1 | And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: | |
12:2 | And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. | |
12:3 | And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. | |
12:4 | And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. | |
12:5 | And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. | |
12:6 | And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. | |
12:7 | And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, | |
12:8 | And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. | |
12:9 | And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. | |
12:10 | And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. | |
12:11 | And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. | |
12:12 | Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. | |
12:13 | And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. | |
12:14 | And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. | |
12:15 | And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. | |
12:16 | And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. | |
12:17 | And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. |
Hard to explain this chapter. The dragon can be our nose, the mucus flowing out is the river or water. The pit opening is our mouth. The fighting in heaven is fiction or imaginary.
Compare Chinese words with English versions.
One thing you have to understand is the duality of things. Like in Genesis chapter 1 verses 1 to 3, the beginning is VOID, then the creation of Light and Darkness. This is the same as Taoist Yang and Yin. Then heaven and earth are created. Yang represents God and Yin represents Satan, the duality of the VOID. So to kill Satan you too have to get rid of God. That is to keep a neutral mind. Then VOID can manifest ITSELF in you.
Edited on 11th June 2008