Book of Common Prayer
The angel with the little book
10 1-4 Then I saw another mighty angel descending from Heaven. He was clothed in a cloud, and there was a rainbow around his head. His face blazed like the sun, his legs like pillars of fire, and he had a little book lying open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and then shouted with a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted the seven thunders lifted their voices. When the seven thunders had rolled I was on the point of writing but I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders said, but do not write it down!”
5-7 Then the angel whom I had seen bestriding the sea and the land raised his right hand to Heaven and swore by the living one of the timeless ages, who created Heaven, earth and sea and all that is in them: “There shall be no more delay! In the days which shall soon be announced by the trumpet-blast of the seventh angel the mysterious purpose of God shall be completed, as he assured his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice which I had heard from Heaven was again in my ears, saying, “Go, and take the little book which lies open in the hand of the angel whose feet are planted on both sea and land.”
9 So I went off towards the angel, asking him to give me the little book. “Take it,” he said to me, “and eat it up. It will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.”
10 Then I took the little book from the angel’s hand and swallowed it. It was as sweet as honey to the taste but when I had eaten it up it was bitter to my stomach.
John is instructed to prophesy
11 Then they said to me, “It is again your duty to prophesy about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
Jesus again explains a parable to his disciples
36 Later, he left the crowds and went indoors, where his disciples came and said, “Please explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37-39 “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,” replied Jesus. “The field is the whole world. The good seed? That is the sons of the kingdom, while the weeds are the sons of the evil one. The blackguard who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of this world. The reapers are angels.
40-43 “Just as weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire so will it happen at the end of this world. The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will uproot from the kingdom everything that is spoiling it, and all those who live in defiance of its laws, and will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be tears and bitter regret. Then the good will shine out like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. The man who has ears should use them!
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.