Revelation 10:2-11

2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.
6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!
7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]
10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

Revelation 10:2-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 10

This chapter contains a vision of an angel of a wonderful appearance, the voices of the seven thunders, and an order to John to take the book in the hand of the angel, eat it, and prophesy. The angel is described by his strength, a mighty one; by his descent from heaven; by his attire, being clothed with a cloud; by a rainbow on his head; by his face being like the sun; by his feet, which were as pillars of fire, the one foot set on the sea, and the other on the earth; by having a little book open in his hand, and by the loud cry he made, like the roaring of a lion, Re 10:1-3, upon which seven thunders uttered their voices, which John was going to write, but was forbid, Re 10:4; next follows a solemn oath of the angers; the gesture he used, lifting up his hand to heaven; the person by whom he swore, the living God; what he swore to, that time should be no more, and that the mystery of God would be finished at the beginning of the seventh trumpet, Re 10:5-7; then several orders are given to John, as to take the open book in the hand of the angel, which he did, to eat it, as he accordingly did; when he found it to be as it was told him it would be, namely, sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his belly; and then to prophesy again before people, nations, tongues, and kings, Re 10:8-11.

Cross References 22

  • 1. ver 8-10; Revelation 5:1
  • 2. ver 5,8
  • 3. Hosea 11:10
  • 4. Revelation 4:5
  • 5. Revelation 1:11,19
  • 6. ver 8
  • 7. Daniel 8:26; Daniel 12:4,9; Revelation 22:10
  • 8. ver 1,2
  • 9. Deuteronomy 32:40; Daniel 12:7
  • 10. Genesis 14:22; Exodus 6:8; Numbers 14:30
  • 11. S Revelation 1:18
  • 12. Psalms 115:15; Psalms 146:6; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 14:7
  • 13. Revelation 16:17
  • 14. S Matthew 24:31
  • 15. S Romans 16:25
  • 16. Amos 3:7
  • 17. ver 4
  • 18. ver 2
  • 19. Jeremiah 15:16; Eze 2:8-3:3
  • 20. S ver 9
  • 21. Ezekiel 37:4,9
  • 22. Daniel 3:4; S Revelation 13:7

Footnotes 1

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