阅读经文 

当被放逐到拔摩岛时，（参启 1:9）与耶稣最亲近的跟随者之一使徒约翰，见到一些惊人的异象，是关于耶稣、天堂、大能的天使、还有很多其他的事物。约翰在启示录这卷书中描述了这些异象，这些记载有助于增强我们的信心，好叫我们学习怎样忠心为耶稣而活。耶稣是神的儿子，是人类的救主，祂到世上来，为我们舍弃祂的性命，为要拯救我们脱离罪和死亡，叫我们得以永远与神同活。

今天的经文，描述了天上一场出人意外和戏剧化的景象。神坐在宝座上，手拿着有七印封严了的书卷，但似乎没有人配展开那书卷和揭开那七印；然而，有一位长老随后对约翰说话，长老所说的是：“看哪！犹大的狮子已得胜，祂是能够展开那书卷的啊！”（参启 5:5）

约翰看见像是被杀过的羔羊——这并不是一只普通的羔羊，这乃是耶稣，“神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的。”（参约 1:29）羔羊拿起书卷时，天上千千万万的天使、还有宝座周围的活物和长老一同大声高唱说：“曾被杀的羔羊是配得权柄、丰富、智慧、能力、尊贵、荣耀、颂赞的！”（参启 5:12）接着我们看到羔羊耶稣展开书卷，来描绘神怎样拯救我们脱离罪和死亡、领我们踏上信心生活旅程的故事。

The apostle John, one of Jesus’ closest followers, received amazing visions of Jesus, heaven, mighty angels, and much more while he was exiled on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). John describes these visions in the book of Revelation, and together these passages help us to grow in faith so that we can learn to live faithfully for Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, who came to lay down his life for us so that we can be saved from sin and death and live forever with God.

Our reading today describes a surprising, dramatic scene in heaven. God is seated on the throne, and he is holding a scroll that is sealed with seven seals. It seems that no one is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. But then an elder says to John, in effect, "Look! The Lion of Judah has triumphed, and he can open the scroll!"

And John sees a Lamb, looking like it had been slain—and this is no ordinary lamb. This is Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). As the Lamb takes up the scroll, the many thousands of angels in heaven and all the creatures and elders around the throne sing out, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" And in the following scenes Jesus, the Lamb, opens the scroll to portray the story of how God frees us from sin and death and sets us on a journey of living by faith.