الختم السابع ومبخرة الذهب

وَلَمَّا فَكَّ الْحَمَلُ الْخَتْمَ السَّابِعَ سَادَ السَّمَاءَ سُكُوتٌ نَحْوَ نِصْفِ سَاعَةٍ، وَرَأَيْتُ الْمَلائِكَةَ السَّبْعَةَ الْوَاقِفِينَ أَمَامَ اللهِ، وَقَدْ أُعْطُوا سَبْعَةَ أَبْوَاقٍ.

ثُمَّ جَاءَ مَلاكٌ آخَرُ وَمَعَهُ مِبْخَرَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَوَقَفَ عِنْدَ الْمَذْبَحِ، وَأُعْطِيَ بَخُوراً كَثِيراً لِيُقَدِّمَهُ مَعَ صَلَوَاتِ الْقِدِّيسِينَ عَلَى مَذْبَحِ الذَّهَبِ أَمَامَ الْعَرْشِ، فَارْتَفَعَ دُخَانُ الْبَخُورِ مِنْ يَدِ الْمَلاكِ مَصْحُوباً بِصَلَوَاتِ الْقِدِّيسِينَ إِلَى حَضْرَةِ اللهِ.

ثُمَّ مَلأَ الْمَلاكُ الْمِبْخَرَةَ مِنَ النَّارِ الَّتِي عَلَى الْمَذْبَحِ وَأَلْقَاهَا إِلَى الأَرْضِ، فَحَدَثَتْ رُعُودٌ وَأَصْوَاتٌ وَبُرُوقٌ وَزَلْزَلَةٌ.

الأبواق

وَاسْتَعَدَّ الْمَلائِكَةُ السَّبْعَةُ، أَصْحَابُ الأَبْوَاقِ السَّبْعَةِ، لِيَنْفُخُوا فِيهَا. وَلَمَّا نَفَخَ الْمَلاكُ الأَوَّلُ فِي بُوقِهِ، إِذَا بَرَدٌ وَنَارٌ يُخَالِطُهُمَا الدَّمُ يَسْقُطَانِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ، فَاحْتَرَقَ ثُلْثُ الأَرْضِ وَثُلْثُ الأَشْجَارِ مَعَ كُلِّ عُشْبٍ أَخْضَرَ.

وَلَمَّا نَفَخَ الْمَلاكُ الثَّانِي فِي بُوقِهِ، أُلْقِيَ فِي الْبَحْرِ مَا يُشْبِهُ جَبَلاً عَظِيماً مُشْتَعِلاً، فَصَارَ ثُلْثُ الْبَحْرِ دَماً، فَمَاتَ ثُلْثُ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ الْحَيَّةِ الَّتِي فِيهِ، وَتَحَطَّمَ ثُلْثُ السُّفُنِ.

10 ثُمَّ نَفَخَ الْمَلاكُ الثَّالِثُ فِي بُوقِهِ، فَهَوَى مِنَ السَّمَاءِ نَجْمٌ عَظِيمٌ كَأَنَّهُ شُعْلَةٌ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَسَقَطَ عَلَى ثُلْثِ الأَنْهَارِ وَيَنَابِيعِ الْمِيَاهِ. 11 وَاسْمُ هَذَا النَّجْمِ «الْعَلْقَمُ». فَصَارَ ثُلْثُ الْمِيَاهِ مُرّاً كَالْعَلْقَمِ، وَمَاتَ كَثِيرُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ بِسَبَبِ مَرَارَةِ الْمِيَاهِ.

12 وَلَمَّا نَفَخَ الْمَلاكُ الرَّابِعُ فِي بُوقِهِ، حَدَثَتْ ضَرْبَةٌ لِثُلْثِ الشَّمْسِ وَثُلْثِ الْقَمَرِ وَثُلْثِ النُّجُومِ، فَأَظْلَمَ ثُلْثُهَا وَفَقَدَ النَّهَارُ ثُلْثَ ضِيَائِهِ، وَكَذَلِكَ اللَّيْلُ. 13 ثُمَّ نَظَرْتُ فَرَأَيْتُ نَسْراً يَطِيرُ فِي وَسَطِ السَّمَاءِ وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَصِيحُ بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ: «الْوَيْلُ الْوَيْلُ الْوَيْلُ لِسُكَّانِ الأَرْضِ مِمَّا سَيَحْدُثُ لَهُمْ عِنْدَمَا يَنْفُخُ الْمَلائِكَةُ الثَّلاثَةُ الْبَاقُونَ فِي أَبْوَاقِهِمْ!»

ח כששבר השה את החותם השביעי, הייתה דממה בשמים כחצי שעה. לאחר מכן ראיתי את שבעת המלאכים העומדים לפני אלוהים, ולכל אחד מהם ניתן שופר.

מלאך נוסף הופיע וניגש אל המזבח כשבידו מחתה (יעה) עשויה זהב. ניתנה לו כמות גדולה של קטורת, כדי שיערבב אותה עם תפילות המאמינים, שמוקרבות על מזבח הזהב שלפני כיסא האלוהים. ניחוח הקטורת המעורבת בתפילות עלה מהמזבח לפני אלוהים.

לאחר מכן מילא המלאך את המחתה באש המזבח, והשליך את האש על הארץ. מיד נשמעו קולות רעשים ורעמים, ברקים הבריקו והאדמה רעדה.

שבעת המלאכים שקיבלו את שבעת השופרות התכוננו לתקוע בהם.

כשתקע המלאך הראשון בשופרו, ירדו על הארץ ברד ואש מעורבים בדם; שליש מהארץ נשרף וכן שליש מכלל עצי הארץ וכל העשב הירוק.

כשתקע המלאך השני בשופרו, דבר-מה שנראה כהר ענק בוער בלהבות הושלך לתוך הים; שליש מהים הפך לדם, שליש מדגי הים מתו ושליש מכלל אוניות הים טבעו.

10 כשתקע המלאך השלישי בשופרו נפל מן השמים כוכב גדול בוער כלפיד. הוא נפל על שליש הנהרות ומעיינות המים. 11 כוכב זה נקרא "לענה" מפני שהרעיל שליש מהמים, ואנשים רבים אשר שתו מן המים האלה הורעלו ומתו.

12 כשתקע המלאך הרביעי בשופרו כוסו בחשכה שליש השמש, שליש הירח ושליש ממספר הכוכבים, כך שאור היום הועם בשליש והלילה החשיך עוד יותר.

13 במרכז השמים ראיתי נשר אחד מעופף וזועק בקול גדול: "אוי ואבוי ליושבי הארץ, בגלל הצרות הנוראות שתבואנה עליהם כאשר שלושת המלאכים האחרים יתקעו בשופרותיהם."

'התגלות 8 ' not found for the version: The Westminster Leningrad Codex.

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When he opened the seventh seal,(A) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels(B) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.(C)

Another angel,(D) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,(E) on the golden altar(F) in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God(G) from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,(H) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,(I) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(J)

The Trumpets

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets(K) prepared to sound them.

The first angel(L) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire(M) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third(N) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(O)

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,(P) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third(Q) of the sea turned into blood,(R) a third(S) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky(T) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water(U) 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third(V) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.(W)

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third(X) of them turned dark.(Y) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.(Z)

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair(AA) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe(AB) to the inhabitants of the earth,(AC) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!