Revelation 10:8-11 Series

Revelation 10:8-11

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

We now need to reflect back a little to remember who's voice John is hearing from heaven and in Revelation 5:5 it was one of the heavenly elders and it seems that this elder is speaking to John again in order to give him instruction on what he should do next. He said to John to “go take the scroll.”

This scroll does not in any way seem to be the same scroll that Jesus opened, at least we are not given that indication in scripture.

Here are some questions - who was the scroll small to the angel or John? Was the angel man sized or a giant in size? The angel is standing on the sea and land and if we are at the beach we can do that somewhat or is there a great spans between the angels legs as one is on the sea and the other on land? Also notice he is not standing in the sea but on the sea. Too many questions to think about here with not enough answers. If God wanted us to know He would have told us.

9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”

John approaches the angel and says “give me the little scroll” seems pretty direct and to the point. I'm not sure I wouldn't have been a little more polite to this Angel, maybe saying please give me the scroll or the elder appointed me to come and get the little scroll.

So what is in this scroll? It is open but John is not directed to read it but rather to just ingest it. There is no doubt that in this scroll was knowledge in which may not have even been written. I feel safe in saying that what was in this scroll came from God himself.

10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.

As told John eats the scroll and as stated it was sweet to eat but then made his stomach bitter or in other words it made John feel sick.

As we think deeper into this scroll we have these two apposing things, one is sweet and the other is bitter. The words or knowledge having come from God himself was the taste of something sweet.

Sweet things are usually something craved for and not a part of a normal meal but rather is something special which is why we eat it last after the meal. But whatever was contained inside the scroll, that is the knowledge that was in it, was bitter. It wasn't something good in there but something that turned the stomach. Most I think would say that it was insight of the wrath to come and the carnage that came along with it.

11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

The scroll contained information from God which was supposed to be given to us the creation. No doubt in a way it was a warning of what's to come.

In Ezekiel 3:1-3 we see another scroll that was meant to be eaten and was also sweet to the taste.

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

I wouldn't say this was a normal way of how God instilled knowledge in those who were called to do His work but God can relay a message anyway He likes.

Today we have the Bible which is the inspired word of God given to His people to read and to meditate on in order for us to have God's will, desires and instructions put to mind and then into action.

This knowledge also is meant to be shared with others so that they also will become enlightened to God's will which will hopefully lead to salvation.