Revelation 10

King James Version

Full text for Revelation Chapter 10

1¶ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

2And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth,

3And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

4And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

5And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

6And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

7But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

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.

9And 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.

10And 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.

11And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

John beholds a mighty angel descending from heaven, cloaked in a cloud with a rainbow, holding an open little book. The angel, standing upon the sea and earth, cries out, and seven thunders utter voices, which John is commanded to seal. The angel then swears by God that there shall be no more delay, and the mystery of God will be finished with the seventh trumpet. John is instructed to take and eat the little book, finding it sweet in his mouth but bitter in his belly, before being commissioned to prophesy again.

Medium Summary

A glorious and mighty angel descends, arrayed with a cloud, a rainbow upon his head, a face like the sun, and feet like pillars of fire. He holds an open little book and places his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth, crying out with a loud voice like a lion. Seven thunders respond, but John is divinely commanded to seal their utterances and not write them. The angel solemnly swears by the Creator that there will be no more delay, but that in the days of the seventh angel's voice, the mystery of God shall be finished. John is then directed to take the open book from the angel's hand and eat it. He finds it sweet as honey in his mouth, yet it makes his belly bitter, signifying the complex nature of the divine message. Subsequently, John is commissioned to prophesy again before many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.

Long Summary

The chapter opens with John's vision of another mighty angel descending from heaven, magnificently described as clothed with a cloud, having a rainbow upon his head, a face like the sun, and feet like pillars of fire. This angel holds an open little book in his hand and asserts his dominion by placing his right foot upon the sea and his left upon the earth. He cries out with a loud voice, likened to a lion's roar, and in response, seven thunders utter their voices. John prepares to write down what the thunders declared, but a voice from heaven forbids him, commanding him to seal up those things and not record them. The mighty angel then lifts his hand to heaven and swears a solemn oath by the eternal Creator of all things that there shall be 'time no longer,' indicating an end to delay. He declares that in the days when the seventh angel begins to sound, the mystery of God, as previously revealed to His prophets, shall be finished. Following this, the heavenly voice speaks to John again, instructing him to go and take the open little book from the angel. John approaches the angel, requests the book, and is told to take and eat it, with the warning that it will be sweet in his mouth but bitter in his belly. John obeys, taking and eating the book, experiencing its initial sweetness like honey, followed by a bitter sensation in his stomach. Finally, the angel informs John that he must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings, signifying a renewed and expanded prophetic commission.

Core Concepts

  • The Mighty Angel's AppearanceA glorious angel descends, described with celestial attributes like a cloud, a rainbow, a face like the sun, and feet like fire, signifying divine authority and majesty.
  • The Open Little BookA scroll held by the angel, which John is commanded to consume. It represents a divine message or revelation that is to be internalized by the prophet.
  • The Seven ThundersMysterious utterances that follow the angel's cry. Their content is explicitly sealed by a heavenly voice, indicating a hidden aspect of divine revelation not meant for immediate disclosure.
  • The Oath of No DelayThe angel's solemn declaration, sworn by the Creator, that the period of waiting or postponement is over, and God's ultimate plan is imminent.
  • The Mystery of God's CompletionThe declaration that God's hidden purpose, as revealed to His prophets, will be brought to its consummation with the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
  • The Sweet and Bitter ProphecyJohn's experience of eating the book, which is pleasant to taste but causes internal distress. This symbolizes the dual nature of divine truth—initially delightful but often bringing hardship or sorrow in its fulfillment.
  • John's Renewed CommissionAfter consuming the book, John is commanded to prophesy again to a vast array of peoples, nations, tongues, and kings, indicating a continuation and expansion of his prophetic ministry.