263、启5:4.“于是我就大哭，因为发现没有人配打开、阅读、观看那书卷”表示心里的悲伤，因为如果没有人能这样做，所有人都必灭亡。显然，“大哭”是指心里的悲伤；他心里之所以悲伤，是因为如果没有人能这样做，所有人都会灭亡。事实上，如果天上和地上的一切不通过最后的审判被带回到秩序中，情况不能不是这样，因为启示录论述了当教会走到尽头时，它的最后状态，主以这些话描述了该状态的性质：
那时必有大苦难，从世界的起头直到如今，没有这样的苦难，将来也必没有；因此，若不缩短那些日子，凡肉体都不会得救。(马太福音24:21, 22)
这些话论及当审判发生时，教会的末期。
这就是当今教会的状态，这一点仅从以下考虑便可知晓：基督教界的最大部分被那些将主的神性权柄转给自己，想被拜为神，祈求死人的人占据，在这些人当中，几乎没有人求告主；教会其余的人则将神一分为三，将主一分为二，认为得救在于用虔诚的语气说出的某些话，而不在于生活的纠正，因而不在于悔改，而在于信心，即相信只要他们双手合十，并仰望，按惯例祷告，他们就称义并成圣了。
263. So I wept much, that no one was found worthy to open and read the book, or to look in it. (5:4) This symbolizes grief of heart, that if no one could do this, all would perish.
It is apparent that to weep much means to grieve at heart. The reason John grieved at heart was because all would otherwise perish. Indeed, if everything in heaven and on earth had not been put back into order by the Last Judgment, the case could not have been otherwise. For the book of Revelation has as its subject the last state of the church when it reaches its end, and what this will be like the Lord describes in these words:
...there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. (Matthew 24:21-22)
This refers to the last period of the church, when a judgment takes place.
[2] That this is the state of the church today can be known simply from the fact that the largest part of the Christian world is occupied by people who have transferred the Lord's Divine power to themselves, wishing to be worshiped as gods, and who call on people who have died, and scarcely anyone there on the Lord. As for the rest of the church, they make God three, and the Lord two, and place salvation not in amendment of life, but in certain phrases that they utter in a devout tone. Thus they place it not in repentance, but in having confidence that they have been justified and sanctified, provided they folds their hands and look upward and pray the customary ritual phrases.
263. [verse 4] 'And I was weeping much because no one [worthy] was found to open and read the book, nor to look into it' signifies grief of heart, because if there should not be any one able [to do this] all would perish. That 'to weep much' is to grieve at heart is plain. The reason why he was grieving at heart was because otherwise all would be about to perish; for if all things in the heavens and on earth (in terris) were not brought back into order, it could not [happen] otherwise; for in the Apocalypse it treats of the last state of the Church, when its end occurs, the nature of which is described by the Lord in these words:
There shall be such a great affliction as has not been from the beginning of the world up till now, nor shall be; wherefore except those days should be shortened, no flesh would be preserved. Matthew 24:21-22.
These things are concerned with the last time of the Church when the judgment occurs.
[2] That such is the state of the Church at this day can be recognised on account of these considerations only; that in the greatest part of Christendom are persons who have transferred the Lord's Divine power to themselves and want to be worshipped as gods, and who invoke dead men and scarcely anyone there invokes the Lord; and that the rest belonging to the Church make God three, and the Lord two, and place salvation not in amendment of life but in certain words uttered with a devout tone of voice; thus not in repentance but in the confidence that they are justified and sanctified if they only fold their hands and look upwards and pray in the established mode.
263. Verse 4. And I wept much because no one was found 1to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon, signifies grief of heart, because if no one could do it, all must perish. That "to weep much" is to grieve at heart, is evident; the reason why he grieved at heart, was, because otherwise all would have perished; for if all things in the heavens and on the earth were not reduced to order by the Last Judgment, it could not be otherwise; for Revelation treats of the last state of the church, when it comes to its end, the nature of which state is described by the Lord in these words:
There shall be great affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, nor shall be; therefore except those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved, (Matthew 24:21-22).
These are concerning the last time of the church, when judgment takes place.
[2] That such is the state of the church at this day, may be known solely from these considerations, that the greatest part of the Christian world is occupied by those who have transferred to themselves the Divine power of the Lord, and wish to be worshiped as gods, and who invoke dead men, and scarce any of them the Lord; and that the rest of the church make God three, and the Lord two, and place salvation, not in amendment of life, but in certain words uttered with a devout tone; thus not in repentance, but in confidence that they are justified and sanctified, provided they do but fold their hands and look upwards, and pray in the customary form.
Footnotes:
1. The original Latin omits "worthy."
263. (Vers. 4.) "Et ego flebam multum, quod nemo (dignus) inventus sit aperire et legere librum, nec inspicere eum" significat dolorem cordis, quod si non aliquis posset, perirent omnes. - Quod "flere multum" sit dolere corde, patet; quod doleret corde, fuit causa, quia alioquin perituri essent omnes; nam si non per Ultimum Judicium omnia in Caelis et in Terris redigerentur in ordinem, non potuisset aliter: agitur enim in Apocalypsi de statu ultimo Ecclesiae, quando ejus finis, qui qualis est describitur a Domino his verbis:
"Erit talis afflictio magna, qualis non fuit ab initio Mundi usque nunc, nec fiet; quare nisi abbreviarentur dies nisi, non conservaretur ulla caro," (Matthaeus 24:21-22);
haec de ultimo tempore Ecclesiae, quando judicium. Quod talis status Ecclesiae hodie sit, ex his solum cognosci potest, quod in maxima parte Orbis Christiani sint, qui Divinam Domini potestatem in se transtulerunt, ac volunt coli sicut dii, et qui invocant homines mortuos, et vix aliquis ibi Dominum; et quod reliqui ab Ecclesia faciant Deum Tres, ac Dominum Duos, ac salvationem ponant non in emendatione vitae, sed in certis vocibus cum halitu devoto enuntiatis; ita non in paenitentia sed in fiducia quod justificentur et sanctificentur, modo plicent manus et spectent sursum, ac solennem formulam orent.