442.启9:13.“第六位天使吹号”表审查并显示新教教会中那些没有如此的智慧，然而却将宗教信仰的一切都置于信中，只思想信，除了这信和习惯性的敬拜之外什么也不想，从而随心所欲地生活之人的生命状态。从这一节直到本章末尾，所论述的都是这些人，这一点从接下来的解读明显看出来。“吹号”表示审查并显示教会的状态，因而审查并显示那些其宗教信仰在于唯信之人的生命状态（397节）。
现在所论述的这些人完全不同于到本章为止所提到那些其信仰的虚假看似蝗虫的样子之人。二者的不同之处在于：早已描述过的那些人热衷于探究因信称义的奥秘，还热衷于给出它的迹象和见证，对他们来说，这些迹象和见证就是道德、文明生活的良善；并坚称，圣言的诫命本身的确是神性，但在人那里就变得属世，因为它们是从人的意愿发出的，并未与信之属灵事物结合；并且因为他们通过博学味道十足的理性分析来确认这些事，所以他们照着上面的描述（421节）而住在深渊的南方区域。
但下文直至本章末尾所论述的那些人并不研究这些奥秘，只是纯粹将信当作宗教信仰的全部，除了信和习惯性的敬拜之外就没别的了，因而随心所欲地生活。我蒙允许看到这些人，还与其交谈；他们住在北方区域的茅草屋里，这些茅草屋散落各处，由芦苇和灯心草抹上石灰建成，屋内的地面就是地板。那些出于属世之光知道如何通过推理确立唯信，并确认它与生活毫不相干的人当中，做得较为巧妙者住前面，较为简单者住在他们后面，较为愚拙者则朝向该区域的西部；他们人数之多，简直令人难以置信。他们被天使灵教导，但是，凡不接受信之真理并照之生活的，都被带往他们下面的地狱，并被监禁起来。
442. Then the sixth angel sounded. (9:13) This symbolizes an examination and exposure of the state of life among those people in the Protestant Reformed Church who were not so wise, and yet who placed the whole of religion in faith, thinking of it alone, and of nothing besides it and ritual worship, and so living as they pleased.
That these people are the subject to the end of the chapter will be evident from the exposition of the following verses.
To sound a trumpet means, symbolically, to examine and expose the state of the church and its consequent life among people for whom religion is faith alone, as may be seen in no. 397 above.
[2] The people who are the subject now are totally different from those who have been the subject so far in this chapter, whose falsities in matters of faith were seen in the form of locusts. They differ in this respect, that the people described so far devote themselves to zealously exploring the mysteries of justification by faith and to teaching its signs and its testimonies, which to them are the goods of a moral and civic life, asserting that although the precepts of the Word are in themselves indeed Divine, in people they become natural, because they emanate from a person's will, and being natural, they lack any connection with the spiritual components of faith. Moreover, because they defend these ideas by rational arguments which have the sound of learning, they live in the southern zone in an abyss, in keeping with the description in no. 421 above.
[3] In contrast, however, the people who are the subject in the verses that follow now to the end of the chapter, do not pursue these mysteries, but simply make plain faith the whole of religion, and nothing beyond it and ritual worship, and so live as they please.
I have been granted to see these, too, and to speak with them. They live in the northern zone in huts constructed of rushes and reeds, covered with plaster, and having dirt floors.
These huts are scattered about. The more clever among the inhabitants know how to employ their natural sight to defend that faith by rational arguments and to establish that it has nothing to do with one's way of life. They live in front, moreover, with the more simple behind them, and the more stupid toward the western part of that zone. There is such a multitude of them as to be beyond belief.
They are instructed by angelic spirits, but those who do not accept truths pertaining to faith or live in accordance with them are conveyed down into the hell that lies beneath them, where they are imprisoned.
442. [verse 13] 'And the sixth angel sounded' signifies an examination and making manifest [to show] the state of life in the case of those in the Church of the Reformed, who are not wise in that manner, and yet place everything of religion in faith, and think of it alone and of nothing besides it and the customary worship, and so live as they please. That it treats of these as far as to the end of the chapter will be plain from the exposition of the things following. That 'to sound' signifies to examine and make manifest the state of the Church, and consequently the state of life [of those] with whom religion is faith alone, may be seen above (397).
[2] 1Those of whom [the Word] now treats are altogether distinct from those of whom it has treated so far in this chapter, and whose untruths of faith were seen in the form of locusts. They are distinct in this respect, that those of whom it has treated are devoted with zeal to investigating the mysteries of justification by faith, and also to transmitting its signs, as well as its testimonies, which to them are the goods of a moral and civil life. [They do this] by establishing that the precepts of the Word are indeed in themselves Divine, but that with a man, because they proceed from his will, they become natural things that have no conjunction with the spiritual things of faith. And because they confirm these things by the rational things that they discern by virtue of erudition, they spend their time in the southern quarter in the deep, in accordance with the description above (421).
[3] Those, however, of whom [the Word] treats in the things now following to the end of the chapter do not devote themselves to these mysteries, but only make a bare faith the whole of religion, and [have] nothing besides it and the customary worship, and so they live as they please. It has been given [me] to see and speak with these also. They spend their time in the northern quarter in huts built of rushes and reeds bedaubed with lime, in which the ground is the floor. These huts are scattered about. The more ingenious, who know how to establish that faith by means of reasonings out of natural light and to confirm that it has nothing in common with the life, dwell in front, the more simple behind them, and the more stupid towards the west of that quarter. There is such a crowd of them as cannot be believed. They are trained by angelic spirits, but those who do not receive truths of faith, nor live in accordance with them, are cast down into the hell that is beneath them and are imprisoned.
Footnotes:
1. This section is in inverted commas in the Original. Cf. 421
442. Verse 13. And the sixth angel sounded, signifies the exploration and manifestation of their state of life in the church of the Reformed who are not so wise, and yet place the all of religion in faith, and think of it alone and of nothing except it, and the customary worship, and so live as they please. That these are treated of to the end of this chapter, will appear from the explanation of what follows. That "to sound" signifies to explore and make manifest the state of the church, and thence of the life of those whose religion consists in faith alone, may be seen above, (397).
[2] These who are now treated of, are altogether distinct from those referred to thus far in this chapter, the falsities of whose faith were seen in the form of locusts. They are distinct in this: those already described are studious in exploring the arcana of justification by faith, and also in giving the signs of it, and its testimonies, which, with them, are the goods of moral and civil life; insisting that the precepts of the Word are indeed in themselves Divine, but that with man they become natural, because they proceed from his will, which have no conjunction with the spiritual things of faith; and because they confirm these things by rational considerations, which savor of erudition, they dwell in the southern quarter of the abyss, according to the description above, (421).
[3] But they who are treated of in what follows to the end of the chapter, do not study those arcana, but only make mere faith the all of religion, and nothing besides it and the customary worship, and so live as they please. I have been permitted to see and converse with these also; they live in the northern quarter, in huts that are scattered about, and constructed of reeds and rushes plastered over with lime, in which the ground is the floor. The more ingenious, who, by means of natural light, know how to establish that faith by reasonings, and confirm that it has nothing in common with life, dwell in front, the more simple behind them, and the more stupid toward the western part of that region; the multitude of them is so great that it is incredible. They are instructed by angelic spirits, but they who do not receive the truths of faith, and live according to them, are let down into the hell which is under them, and imprisoned.
442. (Vers. 13.) "Et sextus Angelus clanxit," significat explorationem et manifestationem status vitae apud illos in Ecclesia Reformatorum qui non ita sapientes sunt, et usque omne religionis ponunt in fide, et illam solam cogitant, et nihil praeter illam et cultum solennem, et sic ad lubitum vivunt. - Quod de his usque ad finem capitis agatur, ab explicatione sequentium patebit. Quod "clangere" significet explorare et manifestare statum Ecclesiae et inde vitae, quibus religio est sola fides, videatur supra (397).
Hi, de quibus nunc agitur, prorsus distincti sunt ab illis de quibus huc usque in hoc capite actum est, et quorum falsa fidei in formis locustarum visa sunt. Distincti sunt in eo: - Quod illi de quibus actum est, incumbant studio explorandi arcana justificationis per fidem, et quoque tradendi ejus, tum etiam testimonia ejus, quae illis sunt bona vitae moralis et civilis, stabiliendo quod praecepta Verbi in se quidem Divina sint, sed quod apud hominem, quia ab ejus voluntate procedent, fiant naturalia, quae 1cum spiritualibus fidei non conjunctionem habent; et quia haec per rationalia, quae sapiunt ex eruditione, confirmant, in plaga meridionali in abysso degunt, secundum descriptionem supra (421). At vero illi de quibus in nunc sequentibus ad finem capitis agitur, non student arcanis illis, sed modo nudam fidem faciunt omne religionis, et nihil praeter illam et solennem cultum, et sic ad lubitum vivunt. Hos datum etiam est videre, et cum illis loqui; degunt in plaga septentrionali in casis structis ex juncis et calamis calce incrustatis, in quibus humus est solum: casae illae sparsae sunt; ingeniosiores, qui ex naturali lumine per ratiocinia sciunt constabilire illam fidem, et confirmare quod illa nihil commune habeat cum vita, habitant anterius, simpliciores post illos, et stupidiores versus occidentem illius plagae; est illorum tanta multitudo, ut non credi possit. Erudiuntur a spiritibus angelicis; sed qui non recipiunt vera fidei et secundum illa vivunt, demittuntur in Infernum quod sub illis est, et incarcerantur.
Footnotes:
1. quae pro "qui"