Explanation: In Revelation 10, John saw an angel come down from heaven. he was a colossal figure, so tall that he wore a cloud (like a robe, perhaps). A rainbow was upon his head. His face was as bright as the sun. His feet were pillars of fire. In his hand, he had a little book. He put his right foot on the sea, and the left on the land. He cried out with the voice of a lion. Seven thunders uttered their voices. John was about to write down what they said, but a voice from heaven forbade him to do so and commanded him to seal up those things which the seven thunders said. Then the colossal angel lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever, who created everything, that time should be no more. (There would be no more delay. This does not mean that time would cease to exist, as some have speculated.) The time had come for the seventh angel to sound his trumpet. Then the mystery of God would be finished, as he declared it to his prophets (1-7).
     Again the voice from heaven spoke to John. It told him to take the little book from the angel who stood astride the sea and the land. John went and told the angel to give him the book. The angel commanded John to take it and eat it, telling him that it would be bitter in his belly, but sweet to his taste. When John ate the book, it was as the angel had said. To John the words were words of blessing. To the rebels to whom he spoke, they were bitter words. And John shared the bitterness in the sense of mourning for them. And he was told that he must "prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." So, John's commission was to prophesy "again" (when is not specified). And, in the Greek, he was to prophesy "epi" (not "before," as in the KJV), but "upon," meaning "about, concerning, in regard to" many people, etc. This commission would seem to mean that John was to have more from God to deliver to others, as was the case in regard to the book of Revelation, since half or more of the book was yet to be revealed. It may also mean that he would bear God's message to others in other places after the visions of the book of Revelation had ceased. It may also mean that future generations would hear, as indeed was the case, the message of Revelation (8-11).
     [Sermons: William Still. Eric Alexander 1. Eric Alexander 2. Sinclair B Ferguson. Various. ]
     [Illustration: Today's painting depicts a man (Jerome) whose task was the same as John's in today's chapter, namely to take the book of God's revelation and to proclaim the word to others with joy and with sorrow (vs. 9-10). ]

     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.

---

Home | DAWN Archive

Tomorrow's Picture: TBA

     ADDITIONAL AD LIB MATERIAL: Prose, Poetry, Writers, Visual Artists, Music, DAWN, and ILLUMINATION. ILLUMINATION features a compact, Illuminated Bible. DAWN, the page you are presently visiting, features a new image and explanation daily.

Please Email Comments and Questions To

AD LIB ARTS EMAIL
copyright 2016, Scott Souza