Revelation 10: An Interlude of Prophecy
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:
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,
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
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.
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Revelation 10 serves as a crucial interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, offering a pause to reveal more about God's plan for the end times. While Revelation 9 detailed the devastating fifth and sixth trumpets, this chapter introduces a "mighty angel" and a "little scroll," setting the stage for the final, climactic judgments to come. This chapter echoes themes found in Isaiah 42, Jeremiah 33, and Daniel 2:31–45, pointing to God's consistent program for both Israel and the Gentiles.
A Majestic Messenger (Revelation 10:1)
John witnesses a majestic, mighty angel descending from heaven. This is no ordinary being; the angel is surrounded by a rainbow and a cloud, symbols of God's faithfulness to His promises. The rainbow recalls God's covenant after the flood (Genesis 9:12-17) and its presence around God's throne (Revelation 4:3). The angel's face shines like the sun, and his legs are like pillars of fire, signifying awesome majesty and power. Some interpreters believe this "mighty angel" is actually Jesus Christ or the archangel Michael.
The Little Scroll and the Roar (Revelation 10:2-3)
The angel stands with one foot on the sea and the other on land, claiming dominion over all creation. In his hand, he holds a "little scroll," distinct from the scroll of God's judgment in Revelation 5. The content of this scroll is not explicitly revealed, but the context suggests it contains further prophecies related to the tribulation. The angel cries out with a voice like a roaring lion, and seven thunders respond, underscoring the awesome and powerful nature of the judgments described in the scroll.
Sealed Prophecy (Revelation 10:4)
After the seven thunders speak, John is instructed by a voice from heaven to "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." This is a rare instance where God explicitly commands someone not to reveal what they have seen and heard. While Revelation unveils much about Christ's second coming, some things remain undisclosed, known only to God. This serves as a reminder that we are not meant to know all things, and we should not claim to have complete understanding, whether about the end times or any other subject.
No More Delay (Revelation 10:5-7)
The mighty angel then raises his right hand to heaven and swears an oath that there will be no more delay. This might seem surprising, given the rapid pace of judgments described so far. However, what has been delayed is the full and final outpouring of God's wrath. Through the seven seals (Revelation 6:1-17; 8:1-5) and the first six trumpets (Revelation 8:6–9:21), God has been restraining His final judgment, allowing continued opportunity for repentance. As 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
The blowing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15 marks a turning point. It signals the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the seven bowls of God's wrath (Revelation 16:1-21). From this point, the narrative rushes toward Jesus' return and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. The remaining chapters of Revelation shift focus from events to the key figures involved, such as the two witnesses, the Antichrist, and the false prophet.
Eating the Scroll (Revelation 10:8-11)
John is commanded to take the open scroll from the angel's hand and eat it. This act echoes Ezekiel 2:8–3:15, where Ezekiel had a similar experience. The angel explains that the scroll will be "sweet as honey" in John's mouth but "bitter" in his stomach. God's words of prophecy are pleasant to receive initially, but processing them internally can be difficult and even unpleasant.
Just as Ezekiel experienced bitterness after learning that Israel would not listen to God, John finds the message of judgment hard to digest. This highlights the dual nature of God's word: it is both a source of joy and a call to confront difficult truths.
Equipped with this harsh word, John is instructed to "prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." Even when God's word is difficult, those who follow Him must continue to proclaim it. This verse emphasizes the ongoing responsibility of believers to share God's message, even when it is challenging or unpopular. The sweet taste represents the initial joy of receiving God's word, while the bitterness symbolizes the weight of the message and the difficult task of proclaiming it to a world in need of repentance.
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:
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,
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
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.
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Revelation 10 serves as a crucial interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, offering a pause to reveal more about God's plan for the end times. While Revelation 9 detailed the devastating fifth and sixth trumpets, this chapter introduces a "mighty angel" and a "little scroll," setting the stage for the final, climactic judgments to come. This chapter echoes themes found in Isaiah 42, Jeremiah 33, and Daniel 2:31–45, pointing to God's consistent program for both Israel and the Gentiles.
A Majestic Messenger (Revelation 10:1)
John witnesses a majestic, mighty angel descending from heaven. This is no ordinary being; the angel is surrounded by a rainbow and a cloud, symbols of God's faithfulness to His promises. The rainbow recalls God's covenant after the flood (Genesis 9:12-17) and its presence around God's throne (Revelation 4:3). The angel's face shines like the sun, and his legs are like pillars of fire, signifying awesome majesty and power. Some interpreters believe this "mighty angel" is actually Jesus Christ or the archangel Michael.
The Little Scroll and the Roar (Revelation 10:2-3)
The angel stands with one foot on the sea and the other on land, claiming dominion over all creation. In his hand, he holds a "little scroll," distinct from the scroll of God's judgment in Revelation 5. The content of this scroll is not explicitly revealed, but the context suggests it contains further prophecies related to the tribulation. The angel cries out with a voice like a roaring lion, and seven thunders respond, underscoring the awesome and powerful nature of the judgments described in the scroll.
Sealed Prophecy (Revelation 10:4)
After the seven thunders speak, John is instructed by a voice from heaven to "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." This is a rare instance where God explicitly commands someone not to reveal what they have seen and heard. While Revelation unveils much about Christ's second coming, some things remain undisclosed, known only to God. This serves as a reminder that we are not meant to know all things, and we should not claim to have complete understanding, whether about the end times or any other subject.
No More Delay (Revelation 10:5-7)
The mighty angel then raises his right hand to heaven and swears an oath that there will be no more delay. This might seem surprising, given the rapid pace of judgments described so far. However, what has been delayed is the full and final outpouring of God's wrath. Through the seven seals (Revelation 6:1-17; 8:1-5) and the first six trumpets (Revelation 8:6–9:21), God has been restraining His final judgment, allowing continued opportunity for repentance. As 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
The blowing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15 marks a turning point. It signals the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the seven bowls of God's wrath (Revelation 16:1-21). From this point, the narrative rushes toward Jesus' return and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. The remaining chapters of Revelation shift focus from events to the key figures involved, such as the two witnesses, the Antichrist, and the false prophet.
Eating the Scroll (Revelation 10:8-11)
John is commanded to take the open scroll from the angel's hand and eat it. This act echoes Ezekiel 2:8–3:15, where Ezekiel had a similar experience. The angel explains that the scroll will be "sweet as honey" in John's mouth but "bitter" in his stomach. God's words of prophecy are pleasant to receive initially, but processing them internally can be difficult and even unpleasant.
Just as Ezekiel experienced bitterness after learning that Israel would not listen to God, John finds the message of judgment hard to digest. This highlights the dual nature of God's word: it is both a source of joy and a call to confront difficult truths.
Equipped with this harsh word, John is instructed to "prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." Even when God's word is difficult, those who follow Him must continue to proclaim it. This verse emphasizes the ongoing responsibility of believers to share God's message, even when it is challenging or unpopular. The sweet taste represents the initial joy of receiving God's word, while the bitterness symbolizes the weight of the message and the difficult task of proclaiming it to a world in need of repentance.