[Revelation 10]

Our modern world is quite focused on eating. Food is culture, part of that which defines our everyday. 

Food and the art of dining are dominant cultural factors. Famine and hunger dominate parts of the world where the lack of food causes heartbreaking human catastrophes. Food is life. We need food so often that it should be a constant source of thanksgiving when we have the privilege to live in certainty of our next meal. 

Here in chapter 10 of Revelation we learn the beautiful metaphor of eating the Word of God. It is indeed our daily bread to keep us alive. We have the honour to know the Bread of Life who gave His body on the Cross. It is the perfect symbol of our focus in Holy Communion. John calls Jesus the Word in his Gospel and in this chapter he is commanded to eat the scroll. 

To be filled with Jesus, to be fed by Jesus himself is just as much the command to us as to John in the midst of the vision.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. It is one of the alphabetic poems in the Bible. Its 176 verses are divided into twenty-two stanzas, one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet; within each stanza, each of the eight verses (in Hebrew) begins with that letter. The whole Psalm is about the joy and worth of the Word of God, the Scripture that reveals God’s love and goodness, His purposes and salvation. Each verse has a synonym for the Word, the covenant, the commandments and so on – quite an adventurous read. This is what we need daily. 

The Word is our food. It is what we should feed on to fulfill God’s purpose for us, which is the way to live a life of excellence. In the words of CS Lewis:

He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only. (The Weight of Glory)

Chapter 10 is an interpretative parenthesis between the sixth and seven trumpets. (Just like chapter 7 was before the seventh seal was opened in chapter 8.)  Chapters 10 and 11 introduce the rest of the book and the second half of the vision.  

In this interlude the mystery of God is revealed – the mission of the church.

…he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:9-10)

I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. ² He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. ⁴ Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

⁵ The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven ⁶ and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, ⁷ but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

John Eats the Little Book

⁸ Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

¹⁰ Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. ¹¹ And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

Again the scene in the unseen is dramatic and tense. A strong angel, just like in chapter 5 appears to John. He is robed in a cloud – no doubt Jesus as God.  In the OT only God is clothed in a cloud except in Daniel 7:13 where he talks about the Son of man.  In Revelation 14:14 John sees the Son of man on a cloud.   

… Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind, (Psalms 104:3)

An angel with a face like the sun, just like the face of Jesus shone on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2) and legs of fire (Revelation 1:15), descends with a rainbow over his head – the authority and promise of the Covenant and the glory of the Throne (Ezekiel 1:28). 

The scroll is linked to the scroll in Chapter 5. 

• The little scroll is open.  
• It is again in the hands of Jesus, the Lamb compared to a lion (10:3)
• Associated to the scroll of Ezekiel (1-3)
• A strong angel who cries out
• God who lives forever and ever
• Both this scroll and the Chapter 5 scroll are linked to Daniel
• Someone approaches the heavenly being and takes the scroll
• Language of John – I heard a voice from heaven
• Both contain the destiny of people, nations, tongues and tribes (4 indicates all people)

The angel stands with his one foot on the sea and the other on the land to illustrate authority over the whole earth. (Joshua 10:24-26)

God’s power is not limited – it is everywhere. Also authority over the dragon who summon the beast in Chapter 13 – from the sea and the earth. 

God speaks with the voice like the roar of the lion. This lion-voice is well known throughout the Bible – Joel 3:16, Hosea 11:10, Amos 3:8. His voice compels attention and inspires awe. His voice is the voice of God. Psalms 29:1-11 is a beautiful description of the voice of God. 

An example in verse 3:

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;

The God of glory thunders;

The Lord is over many waters.

The message is spoken and cannot be ignored.

The roll isunopened and small, which depicts a limited revelation for a time. 

John is ordered not to record the revelation. It is not to be passed on. This is a wonderful submission to God’s timing. He reveals just the right thing at the right time. In 2 Corinthians 12:4 Paul describes his own vision of heaven and makes is personal and specific, not to be revealed to everyone. It was more than his generation could understand.

We are warned not to talk about everything. God is the only one worthy of secrets. Secrets with others can destroy and disappoint. Gossip and a lack of trust are ruling the realm of the Father of lies, our enemy. A lying spirit inhabits gossip. Just an exaggerated tone of voice can change the quality of a story. Let our words be truthful and kind.

God orders secrecy. There is power in keeping quiet. There is a reason. Just as our enemy would like to keep sin secret to keep as captive, so the secrets of God in our life make us strong.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. (Proverbs 25:2)

To us some things are not clear. We live without full revelation. It is God’s glory to conceal and reveal to meet our need.

For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:8-12)

The command to be quiet could also refer to the Gospel of John to be written after John returned to Ephesus.

The mystery of God is a theme throughout the Bible. God has a plan and He reveals the plan as He chooses. (Romans 16:25,26. Ephesians 1:9,10 & 3:1-11), also regarding Israel (Daniel 9:24, 26).

The angel makes an announcement, affirmed by an oath. (Daniel 12:7)

He declares that there shall be delay no longer.  In Daniel the time has not yet come.  Here John, who lives after the revelation of Jesus, understands the prophecy of Daniel and is able to communicate it in a fuller sense.  It is not sealed anymore. God promised to judge sin already to Moses in Deuteronomy 32:32-43. His judgment is described as deadly poison and venom of serpents.

The oath is: There will be no more delay. There is no time left to avoid the destruction of the Antichrist. (Hebrews 10:37)

The mystery is revealed.  John witnesses a cosmic moment of completion.

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began. (Romans 16:25)

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,  (Ephesians 1:9)

and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;  (Ephesians 3:9)

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (Colossians 1:26)

that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, (Colossians 2:2)

God promises understanding to his saints.

The hour for sin to be revealed has come – 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The scene is set for the final conquest. 

The full purpose of God with humanity is now be revealed. 

The mystery of God is Jesus. He was heaven’s secret until His life on earth, death and resurrection.

Life is difficult; evil holds sway, but the guarantee is total victory. All the wrongs will be righted and all the questions answered. Though evil may flourish, it cannot and will not be triumphant.

John has a choice to take the scroll. He is ordered twice, but he had the option to refuse. Revelation is never forced. It is always a choice to receive. 

He asked the angel to give it (10:9).  He participates fully in the authority of Jesus to execute judgment and redemption.  He “reigns” by taking the book. He stands as a symbol of every saint to eat and become part of the “big story”. It is a full identification with the risen Christ. (Philippians 3:10-11, Amplified)

He eats and describes the consequences.

To eat something, is to allow it to become part of your inner being. God is not an accessory to be worn when the mood dictates. Ezekiel had to eat the scroll.

Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”  So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.  (Ezekiel 3:1,3)

The description of sweetness as we “eat” the Word of God, echoes throughout Scripture.

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; (Psalms 119:127)

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  (Psalm 19:10,119:103)

In the Jewish educational system it was custom to learn the alphabet, while the letters were written in a mixture of flour and honey on a slate. If the students answered correctly they were allowed to lick the slate.

For John the message of the vision is bitter and sweet. It is sweet to be chosen to proclaim God’s love and goodness, but bitter to see the consequences of man’s hard-heartedness and sin. It is always an infinite privilege to know the secrets of heaven, but the forecast of doom and terror is heartbreaking even when ultimate triumph is promised.

The gospel is sweet in love, grace and mercy, but it also brings inevitable judgment, which is bitter.

Your words were found, and I ate them,

And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;

For I am called by Your name,

O Lord God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)

But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” (Ezekiel 2:8)

In the words of this great prophet who are experiencing and recording the ultimate revelation of a triumphant Jesus:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

We have the book that God gave us.  The Bible is our map to find our place in the purposes of God and to explain what is going on around us.

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