The Angel and the Small Scroll
1 I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the heavens, wrapped in a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had in his hand a little scroll. He set his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. 3 He cried with a loud voice, like the roar of a lion. When he cried, the seven thunders sounded their voices. 4 When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from the heavens saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said and do not write them down.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the heavens 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. There will be no more delay, 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet, then the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he declared to his servants, the prophets. 8 The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the little scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”
9 I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”
10 I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”