“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. 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”
(Revelation 10:8-9).
There’s that sea and earth mentioned once again! What follows must tie to
the “pattern” we’ve previously seen.
John is to comprehend what transpired between verses 2 and 6. It’s an
amazing story related to the book of Daniel. In that day it was sealed. “Go
thy way Daniel ... until the time of
the end” (Daniel 12:9). In the era to which this interlude applies, John
sees the book unsealed, but its timing basis (the Thunders) was initially
not to be understood. Now we come to an astounding point in John’s vision.
It is
time to understand it!
It is to be eaten.
We now move away from that magnificent divine oath scene to return to the
little book theme. John hears a voice speaking to him from heaven. He calls
it “the voice.” This means it had spoken to him previously.
The only other voice, besides angel Jesus, was “the voice” that told him not
to write what he heard (vs 4) the Thunders say. Most feel that this was God
the Father’s voice!
John is now commissioned to do three things: (1) take the little book, (2)
eat it, and then (3) prophesy.
Those three steps introduce powerful imagery. This is the third time we are
told that the little book was open and in the angel’s hand. This underscores
the importance of the book, that it is open to understanding and that it
remains protected by the hand of God until it is taken and imbibed or used.
That portrays a vital message. Though the book is unsealed or opened, it
will not be understood until just previous to the time to
prophesy! When is that? When Jesus declares that time is no longer delayed –
at the beginning of Daniel’s “time, times, and an half [time].”
Background to this progressive understanding comes from E. G. White: “Since
1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed”[1]
This comment came in relation to the new understanding of Daniel 7 and the
1260 years by early Advent pioneers. The next statement relates to the
growing sensitivity regarding the judgment prophecy.
“Blessed are the eyes which saw the things that were seen in 1843 and 1844.
The message was given. And there should be no delay in repeating the
message, for the signs of the times are fulfilling; the closing work must be
done. A great work will be done [future] in a short time. A message will
soon be given by God’s appointment that will swell into a loud cry. Then
Daniel will stand in his lot, to give his testimony.”[2]
“Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days. John sees the
little book unsealed. Then Daniel’s prophecies have their proper place in
the first, second, and third angels’ messages to be given [future] to the
world. The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to
time.”[3]
What was sealed was that part of Daniel that related to
time at the very end (Daniel 8
and 12).
The imagery reveals:
Unsealing: open book
Understanding: eating it
Application:
–
Daniel stands in his lot
–
Time to proclaim it to the world with the three angels’ messages
–
It is a timing message
There has been progressive understanding of Daniel since it was unsealed,
especially related to the judgment issues [“the judgment was set, and the
books were opened” (Daniel
That loud cry is represented, and here it gets inspiring, by John’s
“prophesying again.” That is narrated in the next chapter as two
witnesses going out just before Jesus comes!
This whole message is an echo of a commission given to Ezekiel. He saw a
hand come to him with a scroll. It was opened, and he was asked to eat it.
It was as sweet as honey, but later,
as he went to the house of
John didn’t delay in obeying God. He went to the Angel and asked for the
little open book (scroll). Jesus said to him, take it and eat it. To “eat”
that scroll means to study, understand and take to heart the message it
contains. It comes from a word (kataphage) that is an idiomatic
Hebrew word meaning to receive knowledge – to digest it. Kata, the
prefix, emphasizes the completeness of eating it (similar to Ezekiel 3:1-3
and Jeremiah
John symbolizes here God’s last-day people who will take this message to the
world. Our grasp of its details, warnings and hope are to be so deep and
thorough, it is like food – it becomes part of us.
But there is something unusual about this “eating experience.” The message
was as sweet as honey in his mouth. It was a wonderful eating experience,
just like eating dessert. God’s Word is that way!
“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth!” (Psalm 119:103; cf. Psalm 19:10, Proverbs 24:13-14, Jeremiah 15:16).
As we dig deeper and deeper into its nuances and inspired expressions, a
thrill comes to us that makes us crave for even more. But, like indigestion,
Jesus told John that it would become bitter when in his stomach. What could
that mean? It wasn’t because he overate! He was told by a divine command to
eat it fully. Something backlashes. Could it be God’s message turns bitter?
Never! In 1844 when the Great Disappointment occurred, that had been a sweet
message that Jesus would come – but then He didn’t. That became a bitter
experience. Even greater was the bitter opposition that followed by those
who once held the same hope.
“Satan’s attacks against the advocates of the truth will wax more bitter and
determined to the very close of time. As in Christ’s day the chief priests
and rulers stirred up the people against Him, so today the religious leaders
will excite bitterness and prejudice against the truth for this time. The
people will be led to acts of violence and opposition which they would never
have thought of had they not been imbued with the animosity of professed
Christians against the truth.”[4]
That 1844 experience is a metaphor for the greater application here. Daniel
8–12 is an end-time message. It tells us, once certain events begin, exactly
when God’s people will be delivered and the special resurrection occurs.
That will happen immediately before Jesus appears at the end of a very
important “appointed time.” Thus, the open book is a second-advent message
book! That is/will be sweet to know.
What turns such a sweet message into bitterness? The opposition to God’s
people
when giving
that message![5]
But they (the wicked), in turn, will meet with bitter disappointment when
they soon realize that they are lost – forever.[6]
In 1844 Jesus didn’t come; that was a bitter disappointment. But with this
open little book message, He is coming. The keen resistance
from those who had been rejoicing in the faith will be cutting and bitter.
That opposition will lie at the root of a fascinating but sad commentary.
“Those to whom the message of truth is spoken seldom ask, ‘Is it true?’ but,
‘By whom is it advocated?’ Multitude estimate it by the numbers who accept
it; and the question is still asked, ‘Have any of the learned men or
religious leaders believed?’”[7]
With the opposition comes suffering, persecution and even martyrdom (6:9-11)
to God’s people. This will be developed more in the next chapter. For the
saints, the end of all suffering is endless joy and peace with Jesus (I
Peter
There is an interesting contrast drawn in these first few verses of
Revelation 10. The heavenly voice prohibited the writing of the Seven
Thunder event-driven messages (vs 4). Now he eats, then is ready to witness
– to tell what he knows. The whole scene is a progressive revelation of
unfolding information until an appointed time comes. When we view the
continuing sequence right into the next chapter and review the vision’s
structural integrity, note what we discover:
The Setting
Open book – unsealed Daniel
(ready
to be understood)
It can’t be grasped until
God releases it from His hand!
Book released “when
John asked for it!”
Jesus then prophesied about the “meal.”
As it was eaten, it would be sweet.
The sweetness would change, when he had fully eaten it, into bitterness.
This is such an important sequence to grasp. It introduces how careful God
is in sharing truth. The understanding of Daniel 8–12 comes before the timed
prophecies begin! (See following diagram.) The church rejects that
understanding. It is bitter and not understood. Judgment on the church
commences. This, as we shall see, is the beginning of the judgment of the
living. It starts just before the appointed time as those Danielic messages
are being fully understood.
“This solemn work is to be done upon the earth. Look and see how stands your
measurement of character as compared with God’s standard of righteousness,
his holy law. The worshipers are to
pass under the measuring line of God. Who will bear the test? Christ
says, ‘I know thy works.’ Nothing is hid from him of whom John says, ‘His
head and his hair were white like wool, white as snow, and his eyes were as
a flame of fire.’ How many are purifying their souls by obeying the truth?
How many are now in this time wholly on the Lord’s side? How many are
seeking to be a blessing to those around them? Many need help, kind words,
thoughtful attentions; and if you pray with such, you may be a blessing to
them.”[8]
“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”
(Revelation 10:10).
John follows through with the divine instructions. Isn’t it phenomenal to
see John being given the same directive from God the Father and Jesus, one
right after the other? With Jesus taking the oath and then the Father and
Son talking with him! What’s in that part of Daniel’s book must be some of
the most amazing information ever given to man!
There are legitimate questions as to whether the disciples really knew how
far into the future Jesus’ second coming might be. Their concern was always
expectancy and preparation. Though Jesus had told them that the timing
details of the end of time would be found in Daniel (Matthew 24:15), there
is little evidence that they studied that or understood its implications –
until now. Expositor White notes: “The disciples were mistaken in regard to
the kingdom to be set up at the end of the seventy weeks.”[9]
Their “kingdom at hand” message was
based upon that misunderstanding. Since that prophecy linearly ended in 34
A.D. and their mission and writings took them way beyond that period, they
probably had a restricted grasp of even its beginning.
John eats the little book. It’s now part of him, totally. He now understands
that part of Daniel which had been sealed and that part which Jesus referred
to.
It is that understanding that sanctions Jesus and God to next command, “go
prophesy.” Based on the unsealed portion of Daniel, an end-time message is
to permeate the world in a final thrust just before Jesus comes (seen in the
next chapter) (see Table 1).
Once again we draw on the parallels from Ezekiel and Jeremiah (Table 1).
From commissioning through prophetic revelation to preaching, all three
prophets represent the mission of the saints at the end. Ezekiel was even
asked to take the message to God’s people in
It is important to observe that in Ezekiel the throne room scene and the
eating of the scroll occur together. In Revelation they are separated
(Revelation 4–5, 10). John is given a wonderful span of end-time prophecies
that cover the end of the 2300 years to the consummation, seventh millennium
and, finally, recreation. We get wonderful glimpses of the end in those Old
Testament books, including from the minor prophets. They develop beautiful
resumes of what follows in Daniel and then forward-moving Revelation.
As the gospel is proclaimed to the world, resistance and persecution will
come (Revelation 11:7; 12:17; 13:15-17; 17:6, 14; 20:4), but God’s promises
declared, “I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will
redeem thee” (Jeremiah 15:21).
It will soon be apparent that the great work of God’s people will be to
those claiming to be His. They all believe in a divine Being. The final
issues are in the context of truth!
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and
nations, and tongues, and kings”
(Revelation
The words here are not “he said” but plural “they said” (legousin).
Isn’t that wonderful! The commission to preach comes from both God the
Father and Jesus. All of heaven is joined together in amazing imagery as the
final work on earth commences. We got a little glimpse of that some time ago
in Revelation 8:3-4 when God provided Jesus with more incense to accommodate
the crescendoing prayers reaching the heavenly Altar.
The command is a directive. He is filled with truth. The link between the
Seven Thunders and the open book is complete. He is to go out
and preach – “Thou must” (dei se). It is a necessity in light of the
urgency of the message. Here is the call. The next chapter will be the
response.
It is interesting that the word “again” is used here. When did he prophesy
before? In
The audience? Peoples, nations, tongues and kings. That’s the whole world!
There is in this directive a thought that has been lost to a narrower view
of the great commission. The gospel of the kingdom is to go to the whole
world (Matthew 24:14, 28:18-20). Revelation 10 expands our understanding of
that world task. It is to include the unsealed timing messages of
Daniel! That broadens what Jesus said, “teaching them to observe whatsoever
I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20) to what God and Jesus said in
the context of that “open little book.”
The word “before” (epi) is a preposition and has stirred much debate.
In the Septuagint it is most often used in the context of judgment. It is
translated in many ways. The implication seems to be that this message from
Daniel will show that a final judgment against the world is pending. What a
fitting understanding! The world, in a timing warning, is informed “your
time is about up!” What a setting in which to bring the final gospel message
about our precious Jesus to every human heart!
There is more to this prophecy! Daniel 12 tells of the 1260-day period
(12:6-7) in answer to “How long it would take for these things to end.” Then
Jesus adds the timing prophecy of 1290 days. What is that tied to? The
abomination (false sabbath) that
leads to desolation and the daily
(Sabbath rest) being removed. That is another piece of the third
angel’s puzzle of Revelation 14:9-11! Daniel’s unsealed message is a
marvelous prophecy of that third angel’s proclamation. In 1843 and 1844 the
first and second angels’ messages brought hope and power to the advent
movement. The third angel’s message remained mainly in waiting. Revelation
10 is an unfolding of all those Danielic themes, given in a timing setting,
immediately preceding the second advent!
“There was one class who soon renounced the idea that ‘the door of mercy was
shut [post-1844 disappointment],’ because they discovered that other
messages were to be proclaimed after that declaring, the hour of
judgment is come; and that that of the third angel, the last one, was
to go to ‘many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings [Revelation
10:11].’ They learned that the judgment sits in heaven before the coming of
the Lord; that the judgment of the righteous is fully accomplished while
Jesus is yet their advocate before the Father’s throne; that eternal life is
instantly given to the saints when their Saviour comes, which is proof that
they have been judged and acquitted [judgment of the living]. As the hopes
of the disciples revived, and they were ‘glad when they saw the lord,’ and
declared his Messiahship with yet greater confidence, so did these rejoice
when they discovered the truth of the third angel’s message, which, to them,
was like life from the dead. With renewed zeal and strengthened confidence
they began again to proclaim the soon coming of the Lord.”[10]
“The people whom God has made the depositaries of His law are not to permit
their light to be hidden. The truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of
the earth. Obstacles must be met and surmounted. A great work is to be done,
and this work has been entrusted to those who know the truth.
They should make mighty intercession with God for help now. The love of
Christ must be diffused in their own hearts. The Spirit of Christ must be
poured out upon them, and they must be making ready to stand in the
judgment. While they are consecrating themselves to God, a convincing
power will attend their efforts to present the truth to others, and its
light will find access to many hearts. We must sleep no longer on Satan’s
enchanted ground, but call into requisition all our resources and avail
ourselves of every facility with which