Revelation 10:1-10

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 the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

2 And he had in his hand a little open book, and he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the land

3 And cried out with a loud voice as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, 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 have spoken and do not write them.

5 And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the land lifted up his hand to heaven

6 and swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth, and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer;

7 but in the day of the voice of the seventh angel when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he did evangelize unto his slaves the prophets.

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands upon the sea and upon the land.

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 from 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.

Revelation 10:1-10 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.