464. Revelation 10

1. And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, encompassed with a cloud; and a rainbow was over his head, and his face was as 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 upon the earth.
3. And he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth. And when he 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 whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven.
6. And sware by Him that liveth for ages of ages, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things that are therein, that time shall be no longer.
7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished; as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.
8. And the voice which I heard from heaven, spake unto me again, saying, Take the little book, which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing upon the* earth.
9. And I went unto the angel, saying 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 in thy mouth it shall be 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 when I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter.
11. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
* The original Latin omits "sea and upon," but it is inserted in the explanation below.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

The contents of the whole chapter

The exploration and manifestation of those who are in the churches of the Reformed is still treated of; here what they believe concerning the Lord, as being the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught (Matthew 28:18); and that His Human is Divine; and that this is not received there; and that it can be received with difficulty, so long as the dogma of justification by faith alone is seated in their hearts.

The contents of each verse

Verse 1. "And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven," signifies the Lord in Divine majesty and power (n. 465). "Encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow was over his head," signifies His Divine natural and Divine spiritual (n. 466). "And his face was as the sun," signifies the Divine love, and at the same time the Divine wisdom (n. 467). "And his feet as pillars of fire," signifies the Lord's Divine natural as to the Divine love, which sustains all things (n. 468). Verse 2. "And he had in his hand a little book open," signifies the Word as to this doctrinal point therein, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth and that His Human is Divine (469). "And he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth," signifies that the Lord has the whole church under His auspices and dominion (n. 470). Verse 3. "And cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth," signifies grievous lamentation that the church is taken from Him (n. 471). "And when He cried, seven thunders uttered their voices," signifies that the Lord will disclose throughout the whole heaven what is in the little book (n. 472). Verse 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," signifies that these things indeed are made manifest, but that they are not received till after they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, are cast out of the world of spirits, because there would be danger were they to be received before (n. 473). Verse 5. "And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven (verse 6), and swore by Him that liveth for ages of ages," signifies the attestation and testification of the Lord by Himself (n. 474). "Who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things that are therein" signifies, who vivifies all that are in heaven and that are in the church, and each and everything with them (n. 475). "That time shall be no longer," signifies that there cannot be any state of the church, or any church, except one God be acknowledged, and that the Lord is that God (n. 476). Verse 7. "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound" signifies the final exploration and manifestation of the state of the church which must perish, unless a new one be established by the Lord (n. 477). "And the mystery of God shall be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets," signifies that then it will appear, that it is foretold in the Word of both Testaments, but has hitherto been concealed, that after the Last Judgment is executed upon those who have devastated the church, the Lord's kingdom will come (n. 478). Verse 8. "And the voice which I heard from heaven, spake unto me again, saying, Take the little book, which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing upon the sea and upon the earth," signifies a command from heaven, that they should admit that doctrine, but that it should be made manifest by John how it would be received in the church, before those are removed, who are meant by "the dragon," "the beast," and "the false prophet" (n. 479). Verse 9. "And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book," signifies a motion of the mind with many to receive the doctrine (n. 480). "And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey," signifies that reception of the acknowledgment that the Lord is the Savior and Redeemer, is grateful and pleasing, but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that his Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult by reason of falsifications (n. 481). Verse 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 when I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter," signifies that so it came to pass, and was thus manifested (n. 482). Verse 11. "And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings," signifies that because it is so, the quality of those who are in faith alone must be further shown (n. 483).

THE EXPLANATION.

In this and the following chapter the Lord is treated of, that He is the God of heaven and earth, and that as to His Human also He is God; consequently that He is Jehovah Himself. That this is the subject treated of in these two chapters, may be seen from the particulars in the spiritual sense, and from their conclusion (chapter 11:15-17).