Revelation 10:1-7

1 And I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow on his head; and the face of him was as the sun, and the feet of him as a pillar of fire.

2 And he had in his hand a little book opened; and he set his right foot on the sea, and the left foot on the earth [forsooth his left foot on the earth].

3 And he cried with a great voice, as a lion when he roareth; and when he had cried, the seven thunders spake their voices.

4 And when the seven thunders had spoken their voices, I was to write [I was to writing]. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Mark thou [Sign thou, or mark,] what things the seven thunders spake, and do not thou write them.

5 And the angel whom I saw standing above the sea, and above the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven,

6 and swore by him that liveth into worlds of worlds, that made of nought heaven, and those things that be in it, and the earth, and those things that be in it, and the sea, and those things that be in it, that time shall no more be.

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to trumpet, the mystery of God shall be ended [when he shall begin to sing in trump, the mystery of God shall be fulfilled], as he preached by his servants prophets.

Revelation 10:1-7 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.