Just as chapter 7 was a “break in the action” between the 6th and 7th seals, this next section (10:1-11:14) is also a “break in the action” between the 6th and 7th trumpets. Just as the events in chapter 7 were necessary before the 7th seal could be opened, the events described here in 10:1-11:14 are necessary before the 7th trumpet could be sounded.
There are two “events” that happen in 10:1-11:14. Chapter 10 gives us a scene of a mighty angel with a little scroll. John is told to eat the scroll, and when he does, he finds that it is “sweet as honey” in his mouth, but it turns bitter in his stomach. What does this mean?
Before we get into that, though, there are a few other things in chapter 10 we need to take a look at. First off, there is the little thing about the seven thunders. John hears the seven thunders, and is about to write down what they reveal, but he is told to basically skip them. Strange. So what’s going on?
When one reads Revelation, one sees an “intensification in judgment” throughout the book. The seven seals affect one-fourth of creation; the seven trumpets affect one-third of creation; then there are these seven thunders that get skipped over; and then (as we will see later on), the seven bowls affect all of creation. Therefore, it is logical to assume that if the seven thunders had been written down, they would have affected one-half of creation—to coincide with the progression throughout the book.
In any case, we are told that the “mystery of God will be accomplished” at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. But how will the mystery of God be accomplish. Or, for that matter, what is the mystery of God in the first place? The answer is given in 11:15—the mystery of God is the completion and purpose in redemption: to make a people for His Name. It is the salvation of the entire creation (i.e. “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ”—11:15).
With that, we can now look at how the mystery of God will be accomplished. If the judgments and plagues of the seals and trumpets don’t bring about repentance, what will? The answer is hinted at in 10:8-11. This is where John eats the little scroll, only to find it is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. Once that happens, he is told to prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings. This scene calls to mind similar instances in Ezekiel 2:10 and Jeremiah 15:16ff. In all three instances, the message is clear: the Word of God is a delight to receive, but it causes pain when its grim nature is fully understood and declared.
One might ask, “But how can understanding the Word of God cause pain?” We in America are surprised at this notion because we have a poor understanding of what following Christ ultimately means. We do not really suffer for our faith. We think “witnessing” means going out and sharing a few verses with some friends. If we actually suffer in any way, we tend to think that it is because we’ve sinned, or because God is punishing us for not having enough faith. We talk about how Christ was crucified for our sins, but we fail to realize that the picture of Christ on the cross is a people of how Christians are to live their lives.
In short, suffering for Christ is the most powerful witness, much more than even the best sermon or wildest youth group rally. It is this fact that is “hard to swallow” and so bitter. It is this fact that turns our stomachs. The “grim nature” of the Word of God and the Gospel is that being a Christian costs you your entire life—the good parts, the bad parts, everything. There are no half measures with salvation. A Christian who doesn’t suffer, or who doesn’t share in the suffering of others, is like a fish who doesn’t swim because it is afraid of the water—the result is obvious: that fish is going to die.
As we saw with the 5th seal, it is through suffering that the Gospel is spread; it is through suffering that God’s grace is made visible and available to others; it is because of suffering and death that eternal life in Christ is possible.
And that is what we see unfold in chapter 11….
It is my understanding that the scroll in chapter 10 is actually the same scroll as in chapter 5. A different word is used for scroll, but a strong case can be made it is the same scroll. Both 5:1 and 10:2 depend on Ezekiel 2 & 3. The scenes of chapters 6 & 7 appear not to be the actual contents of the scroll in chapter 5; because it would seem the scroll must be fully open in order to look inside and to reveal the contents. It then follows that the contents of the one scroll in 5 & 10 are only to be revealed in chapter 11, when the scroll is eaten. I make this case in my book: Worthy is the Lamb; and I reference other commentators in doing so.