Morning Bible Study: Revelation 10:8-11

8  Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: "Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." 

9  So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. "Yes, take it and eat it," he said. "It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!" 

10  So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. 

11  Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings." NLT

Commentary

(the following commentary is from www.easyenglish.bible)

"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."