The Revelation of St. John the Divine
Revelation 10
Chapter X · Vol. IV, pp. 526–527
1 A mighty strong angel appeareth with a book open in his hand. 6 He sweareth by him that liveth for ever, that there shall be no more time. 9 John is commanded to take and eat the book.
1 And I saw another mighty angel1 come down from heaven, aclothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
1 Christ, ch.i.;8.3;9.13. Da.10.5,6;12.7.
a ch.1.7;4.3,5;1.15,16;14.14. Ge.9.6,13,17. Eze.1.28. Ps.104.3,26-28. Da.10.5,6. Ps.97.2. Mat.17.2.
2 And he had in his hand ba little book open: and he cset his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
b ch.5.1,5;vi.;8.1, or Ro.1.16;16.27. Col.1.26,27. 2 Co.4.3,4,6.
c Mat.28.18. Pr.8.15,16. Ep.1.20-22. Ps.97.1. Is.59.19. ch.13.1,11. Ps.2.8.
3 And dcried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, eseven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I gwas about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, hSeal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.2
* The reason of this, and the similar prohibition to Daniel (ch.8.26;12.4,9), seems to intimate that prophecy was not intended to develop the whole procedure of divine government, but merely what specially related to the church of Christ—enough for the instruction, admonition, the faith and the hope of his disciples.—C.
g ch.1.4,11;ii.iii. Da.8.26;12.4,9. De.29.29.
2 See note * in first column.
6 And sware3 by him that jliveth for ever and ever, who kcreated heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that lthere should be 4time no longer:
3 That is, 'he sware' by himself, because he could not swear by a greater. See He.6.13; comp. Jn.1.3. Col.1.16. Re.3.21;4.3,9,11; also with Re.1.18.—C.
k ch.4.11. Ac.4.24. Ge.i.ii. Ex.20.11. Je.32.17,27. ch.14.7.
l Eze.7.2-12;12.28. Is.13.22. Da.12.7. ch.16.17.
4 That is, that 'the time, times and half a time' were now come to an end, and that the long-suffering of God, and the delay of judgment should wait 'no longer.'—C.
7 But in nthe days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, 5the mystery of God6 should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
n ch.11.15-18. Da.12.7;7.14,27, with Is.xlix. lx. lxii. lxv. lxvi. Je.xxxi. xxxiii. Eze.xxxiv.-xlviii. Ho.ii.iii. Zec.xiv. &c. ch.xiv.-xxii. Ro.11.25. Ep.3.5-9.
5 The mystery, &c. Rather, 'and the mystery of God has been (or, according to Middleton, "shall be") finished.'—C.
6 The mystery of God, in his attributes, which will be reconciled; in his government, which will then be vindicated; and his redemption, which will then be completed.—C.
8 And othe voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and ptake the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, qTake it, and eat it up;7 and rit shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
q Eze.2.8;3.1-3,14. Je.15.10. Col.3.16. 1 Ti.4.13,15.
7 Eat it up. Receive it in humble faith, digest it in attentive study, and live upon it in patient hope.—C.
10 Ands I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.8
s Ps.119.59,60. Ga.9.10. Ex.23.21. Eze.3.3;2.10.
8 To receive any divine message is 'sweet;' to meditate on man's rebellion is 'bitter.'—C.
Notes
Ver. 1. Christ's being clothed with a cloud may denote his hidden glory, awful majesty, and the darkness of his providential dispensations. The rainbow on his head denotes his being ever mindful of his covenant of grace, and prizing it as his glorious crown. 2. The little book open signifies the revealed purposes of God concerning what was still to take place, especially under the seventh trumpet. His right foot on the sea, and left foot on the earth, represents Christ as sovereign Lord of the whole world, and that he would extend his kingdom of grace to Asia, Africa, Europe, and America, and the isles of the sea far and near. 3. His terrible voice denotes the majestic, awful, and silencing nature of his Word and providence. The voice of the seven thunders that followed seem to have uttered somewhat concerning the seven vials of his wrath upon the antichristians, which John was required to keep in his own mind, but not to write, as he was afterwards to have that matter more clearly represented to him. 9, 10. John's eating this opened book denotes his considering, understanding, and being suitably affected with its contents. It was sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his belly; i.e. he took pleasure in discerning the mind of God, his tender care of his church, and the final issue of her troubles; but it pained him to think what fearful distress and persecution she had to suffer in this world before her remarkable or final deliverance.
Ver. 2. By this 'little book' some understand the Scriptures—at first open to the search of all, for a time closed by the Papacy, and reopened by the Reformation. Others understand by it a part of the Apocalypse, from ch. x. to xiv. inclusive, &c. But it seems more natural to understand by it the book that the Lamb found sealed, ch. v., and which, having opened, he now proceeds to expound. C.
Reflections.—It is the comfort of believers that however dark and terrible the dispensations of Providence may be, Jesus is the great manager of them, and hath therein a constant and exact regard to his disciples. He hath all power in heaven and on earth, and will, in his own time, render all the nations of the world his spiritual kingdom. When he appears in glorious majesty, it is for the relief of his people and destruction of their enemies; and the mysteries of providence and predictions of Scripture shall soon be fulfilled to his glory and their joy and triumph; yea, his kingdom on earth and in heaven shall be quickly established on the ruin of all opposition—God's people must be content with what he pleases to reveal to them, and must affectionately meditate on it, and publish it as regularly called. Nevertheless, it cannot but be distressful to faithful ministers or Christians to think of terrible persecutions coming on the church, or ruinous destruction upon nations.