The New Testament with Commentary Revelation 10

Parenthesis

John eats a little book

1 (I saw a mighty angel descending out of heaven,* clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow† on his head; his face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire;‡ 2 and he had a little book open in his hand. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land, 3 and he cried out with a loud voice, just like a lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices.§ 4 Now when the seven thunders spoke I was about to write, but I heard a voice out of heaven saying, “Seal up the things that the seven thunders said,” and “You write after these things.”* 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to the heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created the heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there would be no further delay, 7 but in the days† of the blast of the seventh angel, whenever he should trumpet, the mystery of God which was announced to His slaves the prophets would be finished.

8 Now the voice that I heard out of heaven was speaking to me again and saying: “Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book,” and he says to me: “Take and eat it up; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” 10 So I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, even over ethnic nations and languages and kings.”‡

*10:1 John is evidently back on earth at this point.

†10:1 That is what the Text says, “the” rainbow; our rainbows are caused by the sun shining through rain, which was not the case here—perhaps God has a prototype.

‡10:1 Does the description remind you of anyone?

§10:3 That is what the Text says, the seven thunders, and each had a voice and could speak intelligible words. Obviously these “thunders” exist quite apart from climactic conditions on earth. Interesting! (I suspect that what we do not know exceeds what we think we do know, and by a considerable margin.)

*10:4 The evidence is divided here, but I take it that two of the three main independent lines of transmission, including the best group, have “You write after these things” rather than ‘do not write them’. This text has been generally misunderstood since the beginning. Having been told to seal what the thunders uttered, why would John be told he would write it later? So many copyists altered the text, reinforcing the prohibition. However, I take it that the voice was giving two unrelated instructions: not to record the thunders; and to put his notebook aside until later—he is going to be busy interacting with the angel and eating a book, and the voice does not want him to be distracted by trying to write at the same time.

†10:7 “The days”—the events associated with a given trumpet (and probably seal and bowl) cover a period of time; they are not instantaneous.

‡10:11 The action in verses 9-11 is presumably symbolic, but of what? Like why was the little book open, and why the stomach ache, etc.? I imagine that the book contained the prophecy mentioned by the angel, and being open would indicate that the prophecy was to be understandable. The book inside John suggests inspiration to me, and the terms of the prophecy would be mainly bitter.