Revelation 10:8-11 (LHB) And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to 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 earth. 9 And I went to the angel, and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey. 10 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. 11 And he said to me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Comment (Revelation by Arno C Gabelein):
“The Little Book. Rev 10:8-11. But what is the little book which the angel holds in His right hand? It is not a sealed book, but open. It stands for the prophecies in the Old Testament relating especially to Israel during the time of the great tribulation, what is yet to come upon the earth, culminating in the personal and glorious appearing of the Lord to begin His millennial reign! But we do not need to say more. We saw the contents of the seven-sealed book in chapter v were made known when the Lamb opened the seals. And the contents of the little book we shall also know. What follows after the parenthesis takes us upon Jewish ground and shows the fulfillment of these prophecies. And John was commanded to eat the book (see Ezekiel 2:8 to Ezekiel 3:3). It was sweet and bitter. Such is the prophetic Word concerning these things. Sweet because it tells of deliverance and a glorious consummation, but when it is digested, taken in, it reveals the bitterness, -the sorrows and judgments which are connected with it. And John had more to prophesy in connection with the end, concerning peoples, nations, tongues and many kings. And this we find in the chapters which follow.”
V8 “And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to 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 earth.” This is a small book/booklet. It contains God’s judgments. Eating the book refers to applying the content’s messages to his life. Compare Jeremiah 15:16. These are the words that he must write even if they are difficult and terrifying.
V9 “And I went to the angel, and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey.” God’s words are not always pleasant to hear. But God’s words are sure and will happen. “As Ryrie says, “the point of this interlude during which John was commanded to assimilate these prophecies before he wrote them is simply that it is necessary for the prophet of God to let the word of God affect him first before he ministers it to others.” [Note: Ryrie, Revelation, p. 69.] Believers rejoice that evil is being judged and destroyed, yet sad/bitter that many could have believed in Jesus, accepting Him and His ways, but they refused.
V10 “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.” John received knowledge, but to learn wisdom, we often must experience it. John experiences the bitter. John obeyed even though he knew the book would be bitter.
V11 “And he said to me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” The command is given. “Many people…kings” refer to all those of humanity who will hear and/or read these words. It is for all people.
We learn:
- God’s ways of judgment
- God’s commands are to be obeyed