提要
上段之鑰節是由一位「從天降下」，「大力的天使」說的話（1節）。他的身軀極大，「披著雲彩」，「頭上有虹」，他的臉「像日頭」般照耀，兩腳「像火柱」。一隻腳踏在海中，一隻腳在陸地，向天舉起手來，大聲喊叫像獅吼一般。（2，3節）
約翰這樣寫好像他是在天上。其實他還是在地上（因為異象不斷在換場景），並且能夠跟那位天使交談。這幕異象像若是真實的場景，會顯得很不搭調－－約翰一個有血肉之身的人，竟能和那位極龐大的天使交談，還能從天使手中接收一書卷，並「吃了」。但在這啟示性的異象中，它卻是自然而協調的。
書卷嘗起來是甜的，但在約翰的胃中卻變「苦」了（10節）。書卷的內容乃是與預言有關，吃下去以後，他「必指著多民、多國、多語、多王再說預言」（11節）
也許書卷中主要的內容是與第七位天使吹號之後（7節），上帝成全了的奧秘有關。這奧秘很可能是指「我主和主基督……作主，直到永永遠遠。」（11：15）
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Overview
The key verse is a quote from a "mighty angel" who comes "down from heaven" (v.l). He is of immense size, his body "robed in a cloud", with "a rainbow above his head", his face shining "like the sun", and his legs "like fiery pillars". He places one foot on the sea and the other on the land, raises his hands to heaven, and shouts with a lion's roar (v.2,3).
To this point in Revelation, John has written as though he were in heaven. Now, however, he is on earth (visions have a way of changing from one scene to another), and he is able to converse with this remarkable angel. Another aspect of the scene, which in the natural world would be incongruous, is perfectly in order in an apocalyptic vision — John, the human being (with human physical dimensions) not only converses with this immense angel, but is also able to take a scroll from the angel's hand and "eat" it.
The scroll tastes "sweet", but turns John's stomach "sour" (v.10). Its content has something to do with prophecy — for John is told, after eating it, that he "must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings" (v.ll).
Perhaps the key ingredient in the scroll has to do with "the mystery of God [being] accomplished" after the seventh trumpet is blown (v.7). That mystery is very much related to "our Lord and.. .His Christ" who "will reign for ever and ever" (11.15).
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