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英文原文
This chapter is an introduction to the latter part of the prophecies of this book. Whether what is contained between this and the sounding of the seventh trumpet (Re 11:15) be a distinct prophecy from the other, or only a more general account of some of the principal things included in the other, is disputed by our curious enquirers into these abstruse writings. However, here we have, I. A remarkable description of a very glorious angel with an open book in his hand, Re 10:1-3. II. An account of seven thunders which the apostle heard, as echoing to the voice of this angel, and communicating some discoveries, which the apostle was not yet allowed to write, Re 10:4. III. The solemn oath taken by him who had the book in his hand, Re 10:5-7. IV. The charge given to the apostle, and observed by him, Re 10:8-11.
1-7
The Seven Thunders (95 AD)
七雷（公元95年）
¹ 我又看见另有一位大力的天使从天降下，披着云彩，头上有虹，脸面像日头，两脚像火柱。
² 他手里拿着小书卷，是展开的。他右脚踏海，左脚踏地，
³ 大声呼喊，好像狮子吼叫。呼喊完了，就有七雷发声。
⁴ 七雷发声之后，我正要写出来，就听见从天上有声音对我说：七雷所说的你要封上，不可写出来。
⁵ 我所看见的那踏海踏地的天使向天举起右手来，
⁶ 指着那创造天和天上之物、地和地上之物、海和海中之物，直活到永永远远的，起誓说：不再有时日了。
⁷ 但在第七位天使吹号发声的时候，神的奥秘就成全了，正如神所传给他仆人众先知的佳音。
我们在此有使徒所蒙之另一个异象的记述，这异象介于第六位天使吹号与第七位天使吹号之间。我们观察：
一、向约翰传达这启示的主要人物——一位从天降下的天使，「另有一位大力的天使」，其描绘之状使人以为除了我们的主救主耶稣基督别无他人！1. 他「披着云彩」：他以云遮蔽他的荣耀，因那荣耀太大，必朽坏之人不能观看；他也对他的护理作为加上遮蔽。「密云和幽暗在他的四围」。2.「头上有虹」；他总是记念他的约，他的作为虽最深奥难测，却完全公义信实。3.「脸面像日头」，全然光明，充满光辉与威严（启1:16）。4.「两脚像火柱」；他一切的道路，无论是恩典还是护理，都纯洁而稳固。
二、他的位置与姿势：「他右脚踏海，左脚踏地」，表明他对世界所拥有的绝对权能与统治。「他手里拿着小书卷，是展开的」，大概就是先前被封严、如今展开、并被他逐渐应验的那卷。
三、他可畏的声音：「他大声呼喊，好像狮子吼叫」（启10:3），他可畏的声音有「七雷」回响，那是七种庄严可畏的显明神心意的方式。
四、加于使徒的禁令，他不可公布、却要隐藏他从七雷所听见的（启10:4）。使徒原想保存并公布他在这些异象中所见所闻的一切，但时候还没有到。
五、这位大能天使所起的庄严之誓。1. 他起誓的方式：「他向天举起右手，指着那直活到永永远远的起誓」，或指着他自己（正如神屡次所行），或指着神作为神而起誓——他作为主、救赎主和世界的统治者，如今向他呼吁。2. 誓言的内容：「不再有时日了」；或指（1）如今在应验本书预言上不再迟延，只等末位天使吹号；那时万事便要速速执行：「神的奥秘就成全了」（启10:7）。或指（2）当神这奥秘成全之时，时间本身也不再有了，因为时间乃是可变易状态中事物的量度；到那时万有终必永远定立，时间本身也就被永恒所吞没。
英文原文
The Seven Thunders (95 AD)
¹ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
² And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
³ And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
⁴ And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
⁵ And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
⁶ And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
⁷ But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Here we have an account of another vision the apostle was favoured with, between the sounding of the sixth trumpet and that of the seventh. And we observe,
I. The person who was principally concerned in communicating this discovery to John—an angel from heaven, another mighty angel, who is so set forth as would induce one to think it could be no other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 1. He was clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory, which is too great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil upon his dispensations. Clouds and darkness are round about him. 2. A rainbow was upon his head; he is always mindful of his covenant, and, when his conduct is most mysterious, yet it is perfectly just and faithful. 3. His face was as the sun, all bright, and full of lustre and majesty, Re 1:16. 4. His feet were as pillars of fire; all his ways, both of grace and providence, are pure and steady.
II. His station and posture: He set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth, to show the absolute power and dominion he had over the world. And he held in his hand a little book opened, probably the same that was before sealed, but was now opened, and gradually fulfilled by him.
III. His awful voice: He cried aloud, as when a lion roareth (Re 10:3), and his awful voice was echoed by seven thunders, seven solemn and terrible ways of discovering the mind of God.
IV. The prohibition given to the apostle, that he should not publish, but conceal what he had learned from the seven thunders, Re 10:4. The apostle was for preserving and publishing every thing he saw and heard in these visions, but the time had not yet come.
V. The solemn oath taken by this mighty angel. 1. The manner of his swearing: He lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever, by himself, as God often has done, or by God as God, to whom he, as Lord, Redeemer, and ruler of the world, now appeals. 2. The matter of the oath: that there shall be time no longer; either, (1.) That there shall be now no longer delay in fulfilling the predictions of this book than till the last angel should sound; then every thing should be put into speedy execution: the mystery of God shall be finished, Re 10:7. Or, (2.) That when this mystery of God is finished time itself shall be no more, as being the measure of things that are in a mutable changing state; but all things shall be at length for ever fixed, and so time itself swallowed up in eternity.
8-11
The Little Book (95 AD)
小书卷（公元95年）
⁸ 我先前听见从天上来的声音，又对我说：你去，把那踏海踏地之天使手中展开的小书卷取过来。 ⁹ 我就走到天使那里，对他说：请你把小书卷给我。他对我说：你拿着吃尽了，便叫你肚子发苦，然而在你口中要甜如蜜。 ¹⁰ 我从天使手中把小书卷接过来，吃尽了；在我口中果然甜如蜜，吃了以后，肚子觉得发苦了。 ¹¹ 天使对我说：你必指着多民、多国、多方、多王再说预言。
这里我们看到：一、给使徒的一个严正吩咐，就是：1. 他应当去，从前面提到的那位大能天使手中「把小书卷取过来」。这道吩咐不是由站在地上的天使本人发出，而是由先前在启10:4吩咐他不可写下七雷所启示之事的同一个天上声音发出的。2. 要吃这书卷；这一部分吩咐是由天使本人发出的，向使徒暗示，在他发表所发现的预言之前，必须更透彻地领会这些预言，并亲自受其合宜的感动。
二、记述使徒接下小书卷后，它在他口中的滋味。起先在「口中」时，甜如蜜。所有人都以预见未来之事、并听人预告为乐；所有属神的人都乐于从神领受话语，无论内容为何。但是，当这卷预言书被使徒更透彻地消化之后，其内容却变为苦涩；其中所记的事如此可畏可怖，神的百姓要遭受如此严厉的逼迫，地上要成为如此荒凉，以致预先看见并预知这些事，对使徒的心来说并非愉悦，反而是痛苦：以西结的预言对他也是如此（启3:3）。
三、使徒履行了他蒙召当尽的本分（启10:10）：「他从天使手中把小书卷接过来，吃尽了」，其滋味正如所告诉他的那样。1. 神的仆人理当先在自己心灵里消化他们奉神的名向他人传讲的信息，并因此受合宜的感动。2. 他们理当将所受托的每一条信息都传讲出来，无论这些信息令人喜悦或不悦。最不令人喜悦的，也许最有益处；然而无论如何，神的使者绝不可扣留神任何一部分的旨意。
四、使徒得以明白，他现在所领受的这卷预言书，赐给他并非仅仅为满足他个人的好奇心，也非仅为使他产生喜乐或痛苦之情，而是要借他传给世人。这里他先知的职分似乎被重新设立，他被吩咐预备另一次差遣，要把那些关乎全人类心意与旨意、并对世上最崇高最伟大之人极为重要的宣告传达出去，且这些宣告当以多种语言被诵读和记录。情形确是如此；我们如今在我们的语言中拥有了这些预言，都有责任留心，谦卑探求其中的含义，并坚信万事都必在适当的时候成就；当预言应验之时，其中的意义与真理必显明出来，那位伟大之神的无所不知、权能与信实也必受人敬拜。
英文原文
The Little Book (95 AD)
⁸ And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
⁹ And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
¹⁰ And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
¹¹ And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Here we have, I. A strict charge given to the apostle, which was, 1. That he should go and take the little book out of the hands of that mighty angel mentioned before. This charge was given, not by the angel himself who stood upon the earth, but by the same voice from heaven that in the Re 10:4 had lain an injunction upon him not to write what he had discerned by the seven thunders. 2. To eat the book; this part of the charge was given by the angel himself, hinting to the apostle that before he should publish what he had discovered he must more thoroughly digest the predictions, and be in himself suitably affected with them.
II. An account of the taste and relish which this little book would have, when the apostle had taken it in; at first, while in his mouth, sweet. All persons feel a pleasure in looking into future events, and in having them foretold; and all good men love to receive a word from God, of what import soever it be. But, when this book of prophecy was more thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents would be bitter; these were things so awful and terrible, such grievous persecutions of the people of God, and such desolation made in the earth, that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would not be pleasant, but painful to the mind of the apostle: thus was Ezekiel's prophecy to him, Re 3:3.
III. The apostle's discharge of the duty he was called to (Re 10:10): He took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up, and he found the relish to be as was told him. 1. It becomes the servants of God to digest in their own souls the messages they bring to others in his name, and to be suitably affected therewith themselves. 2. It becomes them to deliver every message with which they are charged, whether pleasing or unpleasing to men. That which is least pleasing may be most profitable; however, God's messengers must not keep back any part of the counsel of God.
IV. The apostle is made to know that this book of prophecy, which he had now taken in, was not given him merely to gratify his own curiosity, or to affect him with pleasure or pain, but to be communicated by him to the world. Here his prophetical commission seems to be renewed, and he is ordered to prepare for another embassy, to convey those declarations of the mind and will of God which are of great importance to all the world, and to the highest and greatest men in the world, and such should be read and recorded in many languages. This indeed is the case; we have them in our language, and are all obliged to attend to them, humbly to enquire into the meaning of them, and firmly to believe that every thing shall have its accomplishment in the proper time; and, when the prophecies shall be fulfilled, the sense and truth of them will appear, and the omniscience, power, and faithfulness of the great God will be adored.
本章是本书预言后半部分的引言。从本章到第七位天使吹号（启 11:15）之间所记载的，究竟是与其它预言不同的一则独立预言，还是仅仅对其中所含若干要事的更概括的叙述，钻研这些隐晦著作的好奇探究者们对此颇有争论。然而，本章我们看见：一、对一位手中拿着展开的小书卷、极其荣耀之天使的显著描述，启 10:1-3。二、使徒所听见七雷的记述，七雷仿佛回应这位天使的声音，传达了一些启示，但使徒暂时还不许写出来，启 10:4。三、那手中拿着书卷者所起的庄严誓约，启 10:5-7。四、交给使徒、并由他遵守的吩咐，启 10:8-11。