What is the meaning of Revelation 10:10? So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand John’s first response is simple obedience. Earlier we read, “He held a little scroll open in his hand” (Revelation 10:2). The angel stands under God’s authority, so receiving the scroll shows that the message ultimately comes from God Himself. A similar scene occurs when Ezekiel is told, “Open your mouth and eat what I give you” (Ezekiel 2:8). Jeremiah also “took the scroll” from Baruch and delivered it to the officials (Jeremiah 36:14–15). God’s Word is not optional; it is handed to the servant, who must accept it exactly as given. and ate it Taking the scroll is not enough; John must “eat” it. Scripture often uses eating to picture internalizing God’s truth. • Ezekiel 3:1–3 records the prophet literally eating a scroll so that he can then “go and speak.” • Jeremiah 15:16 says, “When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.” To eat is to make the message part of oneself—mind, heart, and life. John’s prophetic ministry will flow out of what he has taken in. and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth The first taste of God’s Word is delightful. • Psalm 119:103 testifies, “How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey to my mouth!” • Psalm 19:10 says the Lord’s judgments are “sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.” Why the sweetness? – God reveals His glory and grace. – The righteous are vindicated. – Christ’s kingdom is assured. Hearing that God will finally set all things right is joyous news for every believer. But when I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter Sweetness turns to bitterness once the full implications settle in. The same scroll that promises victory also announces judgment. • Ezekiel 3:14 reports, “I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit,” after eating his scroll, because he must preach judgment to a rebellious people. • Revelation 11 follows with the prophecy of the two witnesses, persecution, and woes—sobering realities for the earth. • Jesus Himself experienced this mix: joy set before Him, yet the bitterness of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). For John, the message means tribulation for the world and suffering for saints before final triumph. The Word remains sweet, but its outworking can be painful. summary Revelation 10:10 shows the two–edged nature of God’s prophetic Word. John obediently receives and internalizes the angel’s scroll. Its sweetness reflects the glory, mercy, and ultimate victory it proclaims. Its bitterness comes from the judgments and hardships it contains for a rebellious world. Every servant of God who faithfully digests Scripture will feel that same blend—delight in God’s truth, yet sorrow over the cost that truth demands as it unfolds in history. |
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