Revelation 10:1-11
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed 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:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created 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 there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take 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, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And 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.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Still under the period of the sixth trumpet, an interlude follows, chronicling events preparing for the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet. An angel comes to make a most important announcement, namely, that there shall be no more delay, that at the sounding of the seventh trumpet by the seventh angel the mystery of God will be finished.
The seer was now commanded to take the book and to eat it. This figure of eating the book is familiar, and suggests the feeding of the soul on the Word of God. It is to that that the seer was called anew. Such feeding brings men into fellowship with Christ and God. There is a fellowship in joy, and the book is sweet; in sorrow also, for there is bitterness; and yet again in service, for those so eating must prophesy. This threefold experience comes to all who study the unfolding of divine purpose and process. The joy of the assurance of the divine government is ever accompanied by the signs of sorrow over the ruined and unrepentant and unbelieving. This twofold consciousness had its central manifestation in history when Jesus wept over Jerusalem and pronounced doom on it. Thus, as the revelation of the final judgments are about to be given, the man admitted to the secret of the Lord is called on to share in the joy and sorrow and service.