Revelation 10: The Little Scroll
A mighty angel announces no more delay, and John is told to eat a little scroll, sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach.
Revelation 10 (WEB)
1 I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
2 He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.
3 He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky,
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 will no longer be delay,
7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets.
8 The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”
9 I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, “Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”
10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
11 They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”
Revelation 10 (KJV)
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 it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 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,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, 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 uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 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:
7 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.
8 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.
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 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 unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Revelation 10 (ASV)
1 And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the 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 book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth;
3 and he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth: and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven,
6 and sware by him that liveth 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 that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer:
7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard it again speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, saying unto him that he should give me the little book. And he saith unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be 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 when I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter.
11 And they say unto me, Thou must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.
Summary
Between the sixth and seventh trumpets comes another interlude. John sees a mighty angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, a face like the sun, and feet like pillars of fire, holding a little open scroll. He plants one foot on the sea and one on the land and cries out like a lion's roar, and seven thunders answer. As John prepares to write what the thunders said, a voice from heaven tells him to seal it up and not record it—a reminder that not everything is given to us to know. The angel raises his hand and swears by the eternal Creator that there will be no more delay: when the seventh trumpet sounds, the mystery of God, announced to his prophets, will be fulfilled. Then the heavenly voice tells John to take the little scroll from the angel's hand and eat it; it will be sweet as honey in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. John eats it and finds it just so. He is then recommissioned: he must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. The chapter renews John's calling and prepares him for the further word he must speak.
Key Figures
- The mighty angel — A radiant heavenly messenger straddling sea and land, holding the little open scroll, who swears that there will be no more delay in God's purposes.
- John — The prophet who is told to seal the seven thunders, to eat the little scroll that is sweet then bitter, and to prophesy again to the nations.
- The voice from heaven — The voice that directs John to seal up the thunders and to take and eat the scroll, renewing his prophetic commission.
Key Verse
Revelation 10:9 (WEB)
He said to me, “Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”
Lessons Learned
- God reserves the right to keep some things hidden, sealed from our knowing.
- There is a fixed point at which God's purposes will be fully accomplished, with no more delay.
- God's word can be both sweet to receive and bitter to bear and proclaim.
- Receiving God's word leads to the renewed calling to speak it to the world.
- Some things stay sealed. John is told, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them” (Revelation 10:4, WEB). Not all of God's counsel is ours to know.
- God's purposes will not stall. The angel swears “that there will no longer be delay” (Revelation 10:6, WEB). History is moving surely toward God's appointed end.
- God's word is sweet and bitter. The scroll is “as sweet as honey” yet makes the stomach “bitter” (Revelation 10:9-10, WEB). The gospel is glorious to receive and costly to carry.
- The word leads to mission. John must “prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings” (Revelation 10:11, WEB). Receiving God's word commissions us to speak it.
- Why might God instruct John to seal up the message of the seven thunders rather than record it?
- What does the angel's oath that there will be no more delay mean for a church longing for God to act?
- Why is the little scroll both sweet in the mouth and bitter in the stomach?
- How does John's renewed commission to prophesy connect his experience to our calling?
- When has God's word been both sweet and bitter to you, and how did you respond to both?
- The sealing of the thunders reminds us that God does not reveal everything; some of his ways remain hidden. Help the group rest in trusting God where they cannot trace him, content with what he has chosen to make known.
- For a church wondering whether God will ever act, the oath that there will be no more delay is deeply reassuring. God's purposes are not stalled; the seventh trumpet will bring the fulfillment of his mystery in his perfect timing.
- The scroll's sweetness pictures the joy of God's revelation; its bitterness, the hard message of judgment and the cost of proclaiming it. Discuss how faithful witness embraces both the delight and the difficulty of God's word.
- Having consumed God's word, John is sent to speak it again to the nations (10:11). The pattern is ours too: we receive God's word not merely for ourselves but to share it. Encourage the group to see witness as the natural fruit of feeding on Scripture.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a time God's word was sweet in its promise yet bitter in its demand. As leader, affirm that embracing both the comfort and the cost of Scripture is part of walking faithfully with him.