Six trumpets have sounded, and the world is braced for the seventh. Then everything pauses. A mighty angel comes down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, a rainbow on his head, his face like the sun, one foot on the sea and the other on the land. He cries out like a roaring lion, and seven thunders answer. John picks up his pen to write, and a voice from heaven stops him: seal it up. Then John is told to take a little book from the angel’s hand and eat it. Sweet as honey in his mouth. Bitter in his stomach. What was John not allowed to write down, and why does God’s plan taste both sweet and bitter? Step into Revelation 10.

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Introduction

When I was fourteen, my dad had a birthday coming up, and my mom decided to throw him a surprise party with his childhood friends. It was a strict secret. My brothers and I were not supposed to say a word, and in our house, we were not very good at keeping secrets.

I remember standing in the laundry room when I casually asked Dad, “When are the Bakers coming?” The Bakers were the family of his childhood friend, and they had kids our age. I was looking forward to seeing them. But that was the secret, and Dad didn’t know.

Dad gave me a cockeyed look and said, “What are you talking about?” I knew right away I had just let a secret loose into the wild. So I babbled some nonsense, pretending I was confused about something I’d overheard. Dad looked at me even more cockeyed and said simply, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” As far as I know, I didn’t spoil the surprise, but I came close.

In this chapter of Revelation, John receives a secret. It’s sealed up, and we’re not allowed to know what it is. But one day, it will be revealed.

Download the free printable study of Revelation 10 (PDF) for your own personal study, or use it to lead a group through this chapter. It gives you the essential tools to help your friends, family, small group, or church grow in God’s Word. We encourage you to take what is written and make it your own. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us through the contact form on our website: www.freegrace.in. Whether you are leading a group or going through the material as an individual, we’re glad you’ve joined us, and we hope you enjoy it.

Revelation’s Purpose

Jesus is coming,
so faithfully live
to get the reward
that He will give.

Passage

I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”

So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

Bible Study

Now, we move into chapter 10, where there is a pause or hiatus. Just as there was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, we now see a similar pause between the sixth and seventh trumpets. During this break, another narrative is introduced to provide essential context for understanding the seventh trumpet, which will come later.

I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. (Revelation 10:1–3)

The seven thunders likely represent the voice of God. In Psalms, thunder is often associated with God’s voice, and here, the seven thunders carry divine authority and power.

When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” (Revelation 10:4)

John hears something that we are not allowed to know. There is no explanation given, and it’s not useful to speculate about what was said. However, this reminds us that everything else recorded in Revelation is for us, even if we don’t fully understand it. The blessing promised in chapter one of Revelation comes to those who read, hear, and heed the words of this prophecy.

Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:5–7)

This passage tells us that with the seventh trumpet, we are near the end. Revelation often tells the story up to the point of Jesus’ return, then rewinds to provide another perspective on the events leading to that moment.

It’s fascinating that the mystery of God will be finished when the final angel sounds. There are so many mysteries, including much of what is in Revelation, and we have grown used to the discomfort of not knowing the vast majority of what lies behind the veil of unknowing, but God looks forward to a time when He can remove those mysteries and connect with us directly.

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.” (Revelation 10:8)

This angel is described as standing with one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, holding an open book in his hand. This imagery suggests a massive, powerful angel, emphasizing the significance of his actions. The voice from heaven directs John to approach the angel and take the book.

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.” (Revelation 10:9–11)

This is part of the vision, and the act of eating the book is symbolic. God’s plan and judgment are both bitter and sweet. For the martyrs under the altar who are asking God how long it is going to be before He vindicates them, there is sweetness in seeing judgment finally arrive (Revelation 6:9–10). They lost their lives for the sake of Christ, and for them, the vindication is fulfilling. While they may not take joy in seeing people die, they, like many of us, wait for the day Christ returns. That is the sweetness.

However, there is bitterness in what must happen. Earlier in Revelation, it says that despite all the terrible events, the people still did not repent (Revelation 9:20–21). If they would repent, God would not need to carry out such bitter judgments. This demonstrates the bittersweet nature of God’s plan.

Discussion Questions

• John was commanded to seal up what the seven thunders spoke, reminding us that God intentionally keeps some things hidden from us. How do you practice trusting God when He chooses to withhold the answers or explanations you desperately want?
• Even though some parts of Revelation remain a mystery, a blessing is promised to those who read and heed what is actually written down. Instead of getting frustrated by biblical mysteries you cannot solve, what clear command of God do you need to start obeying today?
• The angel swears that there will be no more delay and the mysteries of God will finally be finished when the seventh trumpet sounds. How does the promise of eventually having a direct, unveiled understanding of God’s plan help you endure the confusing seasons of your current life?
• The massive angel stands with one foot on the sea and one on the land, demonstrating God’s complete and sovereign authority over the entire earth. When your personal world feels out of control, how can you mentally anchor yourself to the reality of God’s absolute dominion?
• John’s symbolic act of eating the scroll was “sweet as honey” in his mouth, representing the satisfying hope of Christ’s return and final justice. What specific aspect of Jesus establishing His perfect kingdom brings the most sweetness and comfort to your soul right now?
• The scroll turned bitter in John’s stomach, symbolizing the heartbreaking reality of God’s severe judgment on those who stubbornly refuse to repent. How should the “bitter” reality of future judgment change the urgency of how you pray for the unbelievers in your life this week?
• After processing the bittersweet reality of God’s plan, John is told he must continue to faithfully share that difficult message with the nations. When you feel exhausted or discouraged by the spiritual resistance around you, what specifically motivates you to keep sharing God’s truth?

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Music: Satie, Gymnopédie No. 1, performed by Robin Alciatore (Musopen, public domain).