v1 And I saw another strong *angel come down from
heaven. His clothes were like a cloud. There was a rainbow over his head. His
face was like the sun. And his legs were like columns of fire. v2 He held
in his hand a little book that was open. He put his right foot on the sea and
his left foot on the land. v3 Then he shouted with a loud voice. His
voice was like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, 7 *thunders sounded. The
sound was like voices that spoke. v4 When the 7 *thunders spoke, I
started to write. But I heard a voice speak from heaven. ‘Keep secret what the
7 *thunders have said. Do not write it.’
v5 The *angel that stood on the sea and on the land
raised his right hand to heaven. v6 He made a promise in front of God
who lives now and always. God created the heavens and all that is in them. He
created the earth and the sea and all that is in them. The *angel said, ‘There
will be no more delay. v7 When the seventh (7th) *angel sounds his
*trumpet, God will act. He will complete his secret plan. He has announced this
plan to his servants the *prophets.’
v8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to
me again. The voice said, ‘Go and take the open book from the hand of the
*angel. He is standing on the sea and on the land.’
v9 So, I went to the *angel. I asked him to give me the
little book. He said to me, ‘Take it. Eat it and it will be bitter in your
stomach. But in your mouth, it will taste as sweet as honey.’ v10 I took
the little book from the hand of the *angel and I ate it. It did taste as sweet
as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, it was bitter to my stomach. v11
The voice said to me, ‘You must *prophesy again. This will be about the people
from many nations and languages, and about many kings.’
Verse 1 John saw a great *angel come down from heaven.
It seemed that a cloud covered him like a coat. There was a rainbow above his
head. But his face shone with a bright light like the sun. The impression of
his legs was like fire.
Verse 2 There was a little book in the left hand of
the *angel. This book was open so that people could read it.
The *angel came down to earth. He was a very large
*angel. He put one foot on the land and the other foot on the sea. By this, he
showed that he had great authority.
Verse 3 When the *angel spoke, his voice was like the
loud roar of a lion. At his call, the 7 *thunders answered. The 7 *thunders
seemed to speak words. John heard the *thunders. And he understood what they
said.
Verse 4 John kept a record of all that he saw. He
wrote what he heard. He listened to the *thunders. Then he started to write
down their words. But a voice from heaven stopped him. What the *thunders said
must remain a secret. The message that they gave was for John alone.
Verses 5-6 The *angel raised his right hand to heaven.
By this, he shows that his promise is sure. God in heaven is witness to it. The
*angel makes the promise in front of God.
He describes God. God is the God who always exists. He
will always be alive. God alone has life and he alone can give life. He made
the heavens, the earth and the sea. God is greater than all and he is the ruler
of all. He has the power to do all that he has said. The future will be as God
has said. The *prophecies that are in this book will happen.
Here is the *angel’s promise. There will be no further
delay. The final phase of history has come.
Verse 7 The seventh (7th) *trumpet will sound. In
those days, God will finish his hidden plan. This will be the last struggle of
evil things against goodness. It will be the last efforts of *Satan to defeat
the purposes of God. But *Satan will not succeed. And this time will also be
the last chance for people to turn from their *sins.
God has shown some of his plan to the *prophets. His
plan for the end times is in the *scroll (Revelation 1:19 and chapter 5). This
book of the Revelation tells what is in that *scroll. Some of it remains
secret, for example what the *thunders said. And we do not yet understand many
things that God has said.
Verse 8 The voice that John heard in verse 4 spoke to
him again. He told John to go to the *angel and to take the little book from
him. The *angel was still standing with one foot on the sea and the other one
on the land.
Verses 9-10 John went to the *angel and asked for the
book. The *angel told him to take it and to eat it. John took the little book
and ate it. As the *angel had said, the book tasted as sweet as honey. But in
his stomach, it tasted bitter.
It was as if John was feeling the effect of the word
of God. Afterwards, he would be able to *prophesy. So, he ate the little book.
The book contained the message that John had to tell.
We do not know what was in the little book. It was
most likely a message to God’s people on the earth. It was like something sweet
because the words came from God. But it was like something bitter because it
told about troubles to come. God’s people would overcome in the end. But before
that, people would suffer and there would be much pain.
The message that there would be no more delay was a
pleasant (or sweet) message. The end for God’s people will be pleasant. But the
time before that end would be unpleasant (bitter) for God’s people.
Verse 11 Once more, John must *prophesy. He must show
what is yet to happen. The end was not yet but it would come soon. The days of
the seventh (7th) *trumpet were ready to begin. This was a message to all the
people in the world.
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