[:en]SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 10
“”Go take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land…. Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth, it will be as sweet as honey” (Revelation 10:8-9)
John saw a mighty angel coming from heaven with the following description: (vs. 1-4)
- He was robed in a cloud with a rainbow above his head.
- His face was like the sun and his legs were like fiery pillar.
- He holds an open scroll in his hand.
- He planted his right foot on the sun and his left foot on the land.
- He shouted like the roar of a lion and like the voices of the seven thunder.
Then the angel shouted: “There will be no more delay!” (v. 6). The answer to the martyrs’ prayer of “how long” have been heard. Christ’ time has come to administer judgment. A voice in heaven told John to take the little scroll and eat it. It will turn his stomach sour but in his mouth it will be as sweet as honey. Then he was told to prophesy about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.
SUMMARY:
The mighty angel coming down from heaven is most likely Jesus Christ, the angel of the Lord. It reflects the description of the Glorified Christ in Rev. 1:12-16 and Rev. 5:5.
A similar description found in Rev. 1, Rev. 5 and of the angel in Rev. 10 :
- Face shining in all its brilliance (Rev. 1:16c) – His face like the sun (Rev. 10 1b)
- Feet like bronze glowing in a furnace (Rev. 1:15) – His legs like fiery pillar (Rev. 10:1b)
- Tribe of the Lion of the tribe of Judah (5:5) – He shouted like the roar of a lion (Rev. 10:3)
Christ’s time has come and He affirms that there will be no delay. When the 7th angel will sound his trumpet, God’s mystery will be revealed and accomplished. At present, we don’t understand the mystery of God. Man can not understand why God allow saints to suffer while the wicked go free. But we know that God is still in control of everything.
The Word of God is not for reading only. We must read, study, memorize, digest and apply it to our lives. When John eat the book it was sweet in the mouth but sour in the stomach. John was happy that God would fulfill His promise but he felt better for the sufferings that is forthcoming during the Tribulation. Similarly, the Word of God is a two edged sword. His words are both sweet and sour. Sweet because it gives comfort and encouragement, but sour because it rebukes, corrects and disciplines us. God’s word penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb. 4:12)
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