Free Bible Commentary
“Revelation 10:8-11”
Categories: Revelation“Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, ‘Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, ‘Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’ I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
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The “voice from heaven” which had previously told John “do not write” the things which “the seven thunders” had spoken (verse 4), now tells him what he must do. The apostle was commanded to “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel” (verse 8), “and eat it” (verse 9). To figuratively eat a book is to literally immerse yourself in it to the point that your mind is saturated with it, and you have a proficient comprehension of and familiarity with its message. The word of God is frequently described as spiritual food that nourishes and strengthens us to know God’s ways and do His good will. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger, the Lord quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 in response: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). “Like newborn babies” we are to “long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it” we “may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Yet we must not be satisfied with an infant’s diet, but move on to the “solid food” of maturity that will train our senses “to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).
When John proceeded to take God’s booklet and eat it, he said, “in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter” (verse 10). Consider the comparable vision of Ezekiel 2:8-3:3: “’Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.’ Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe. Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.’ Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.” Ezekiel 3:14 says that the prophet “went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong on me.”
Ezekiel was embittered because the Lord sent him to preach to His “stubborn and obstinate people” who “will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me” (Ezekiel 3:7). Many of us remember the bittersweet sensation that John and Ezekiel experienced when we found and consumed the truth for the first time, and we were consumed by our joy and passion for the word. What a thrill it was to learn and obey the truth, and to know we were saved and heaven-bound, but our delight frequently turned to disappointment when we enthusiastically shared the Gospel only to learn that most people are satisfied in their sins and have little interest in God’s purposes and promises. Jesus truthfully said, “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). While it is “sweet” to know that we are one of the blessed “few,” the loss and “destruction” of the “many” (Matthew 7:13) leaves a bitter burn in our hearts. But as Ezekiel and John were commanded to do, we must continue to share heaven's message of joy and salvation just the same!
John was told that he “must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings” (verse 11). It must have been very comforting for the apostle to know that he would not die a lonely death on the prison island of Patmos, but that he would once again stand before “peoples and nations and tongues and kings,” proclaiming the powerful word of God. But how disturbing to know that the majority would not hear and heed the message of repentance and salvation. John was assured through the Lord’s “little book” that the kingdom of God would prevail and emerge victorious over the tyrannical rule of world empires (Daniel 2:44), and that was super-sweet. But the bitter truth was that much suffering and destruction would befall the wicked world that stood in opposition to the perfect and powerful will of the Almighty God of heaven.
Please read Revelation 11:1-6 for tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
-Louie Taylor
