Revelation 10:8-11

"And the voice which. 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. And. 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. And. 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. had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."--10:8-11.

I have already taken it for granted that the acts of John himself in this book of symbols, are symbolical. His readiness to write the things uttered by the seven thunders, and the command that he should not write them, the command to take the open book, to eat it, and the effects, are all probably symbols of events that have occurred in the history of the Church. What. suppose to be meant can be explained in. few words, but in order to have. connected view,. will give. synopsis of the events of the chapter.

1. The angel holds in his hand an open book.

2. He calls attention to it in. loud voice.

3. The seven thunders launch their thunderbolts against the reception of the open book by the world.

4. John is about to record their words, but is forbidden.

5. The angel affirms with an oath, that the duration of the power and terror of the seven thunders shall be short, and that soon the seventh angel shall sound universal redemption and triumph.

6. John is bidden to take the book.

7. He receives it and is told to eat it, or to receive and devour its contents.

8. Its words are sweet like honey. In the nineteenth Psalm the word of the Lord is compared to the sweetness of honey.

9. There are bitter effects that follow.

The great object of this angel seems to be to present the open book to the world. The book is mentioned four times in the chapter; twice it is stated that the book was open. John, in behalf of humanity, receives the book;. symbol of the reception of the New Testament in their own tongues, received by the nations as. result of the Reformation. The word of the Lord was received by the people with great eagerness and joy. They found it "sweeter than honey in the honey comb." But while they devoured the word with great enjoyment, the results that followed were full of bitterness. In many countries the New Testament was. forbidden book and those who accepted it were subjected to bitter persecution. The Catholic Inquisition was organized in order to persecute and destroy those who had "devoured" the book. It would be impossible for the pen of history to portray the bitterness, horror and bloodshed wrought by this engine of Satan. In. single province, the Netherlands, under. single governor, the Duke of Alva, no less than 18,000 persons were put to death.

There is portrayed last another consequence of eating the book. "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." To prophesy is not only to foretell future events, but to declare the message of God. This message had been declared once by the apostles, both in person, and by those who preached their words. For long ages before the Reformation this proclamation had almost ceased, but when the open book was received by the world and was devoured, the consequence was. revival of the apostolic preaching. John, the last of the apostles, and the representative of the apostolic body, again preached before peoples and nations through those who faithfully presented the apostolic gospel.

The division of the New Testament into Chapter s is often unfortunately made, and especially so in Revelation. The separation between the tenth and eleventh Chapter s breaks. subject in the midst, and serves to mislead the reader. The great thought from the opening of the tenth chapter until the seventh angel sounds in the eleventh chapter, is the OPEN BOOK. In the tenth chapter it is seen in the hands of the angel, and is received by John symbolically. In the eleventh it appears as the divine measure by which the Church and its worship are measured; and again as the two witnesses, crucified, resurrected, exalted. As the result of this exaltation the grand triumph is reached, and the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ. Our attention is called in the beginning of the eleventh chapter to the Measurement of the church.