Revelation 10

The Voice

God’s judgment is not only to punish. He wants people to turn to Him for all their needs, but they often look anywhere else for aid and remain in rebellion.

10 Then I saw another extremely powerful messenger descending out of heaven. He wore a cloud wrapped around him, and a rainbow was covering his head. His face shone like the sun, and his legs blazed like columns of fire. ²In his hand, he held a little scroll that had been unrolled. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on dry land; ³then he shouted with a voice that sounded like a roaring lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders answered with their own rumbling voices. ⁴As I was about to record the thunders’ answer, a voice from heaven stopped me.

A Voice: Seal up all the seven thunders have spoken; do not write it down!

⁵Then the messenger, whom I saw standing on the sea and on the dry land, raised his right hand into heaven ⁶and swore an oath to the Eternal One—who always lives, who created heaven, earth, the sea, and all that is in them.

Heavenly Messenger: Time has run out. ⁷Whenever the days arrive and the seventh messenger sounds his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished just as He announced to His servants, the prophets.

⁸Again, the voice I heard from heaven addressed me.

A Voice: Go. Take the little scroll that is unrolled in the hand of the messenger standing both on the sea and on the dry land.

⁹I then went to the messenger and asked him to give me the little scroll.

Heavenly Messenger: Take it, and eat it. Although in your mouth it will be sweet to taste, sweet as honey, it will become bitter when it reaches your stomach.

¹⁰I took the little scroll from the hand of the messenger and ate it. In my mouth, it was sweet like honey, but my stomach became bitter after I swallowed it.

Heavenly Messengers (repeating): ¹¹Once again, you are to prophesy about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.