What is John forbidden to write, and what happens when he eats the little book?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

An angel swears that time shall be no longer and God’s mystery shall be finished at the seventh trumpet; John is forbidden to write the seven thunders, eats the sweet and bitter book, and is told to prophesy again.

Chapter breakdown

John beholds another mighty angel descending from heaven, robed in a radiant cloud with an overarching rainbow crowning his head. His countenance shines with the brilliance of the sun, while his feet resemble blazing pillars of fire. In his hand he holds an open little scroll, planting his right foot upon the open sea and his left upon the dry land . When this angelic messenger cries out with a roar like a lion, seven thunders release their rumbling voices. John prepares to transcribe what they have uttered, but an authoritative voice from heaven intervenes, commanding the seer to seal up the words spoken by the seven thunders and to leave them unwritten, reserving those hidden mysteries from mortal disclosure.

Standing firmly astride both ocean and earth, the angel lifts his hand toward heaven and swears a solemn oath by the living Creator who fashioned heaven, earth, sea, and every creature within them, proclaiming that time shall be no longer. He announces that in the impending days when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, the overarching mystery of God will reach its consummation, exactly as the Lord announced through His holy prophets. Bishop Challoner clarifies that the biblical term for this announcement literally signifies evangelization or good tidings, emphasizing that the prophetic mystery heralds the ultimate triumph of Christ and the eternal recompense awaiting the temporal afflictions endured by holy martyrs and devoted servants of God.

The heavenly voice addresses the prophet a second time, directing him to approach the majestic angel standing upon the waters and the land to take the open scroll from his hand. When John approaches and asks for the small book, the angel commands him to take and devour it, explaining that it will taste sweet as honey upon his tongue but will turn bitter within his belly. Receiving the scroll, John consumes it, finding it sweet as honey in his mouth and bitter in his belly. The angel then confers a renewed prophetic charge upon him, declaring that he must prophesy once more regarding numerous peoples, nations, tongues, and reigning sovereigns.

The story inside

Context: A mighty angel descends clothed with a cloud, rainbow on his head, face like the sun and feet like fire pillars. Stakes: John is about to write the seven thunders, but a heavenly voice forbids it. Action: The angel standing on sea and earth swears by the Creator that time shall be no longer and God’s mystery shall be finished at the seventh angel’s voice. John takes and eats the open book at command. Consequence: It is sweet as honey in his mouth and bitter in his belly; he must prophesy again to many nations, peoples, tongues and kings. Limits: The thunders’ contents and the meaning of the tastes are not disclosed. The printed annotation connects declared with good tidings of final victory and eternal life.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The angel’s right foot stands on sea and left on earth.
2
John is told to seal the thunders’ words and not write them.
3
The reported tastes follow the angel’s prediction; no medical or psychological explanation is supplied.

Test your recall

What tastes does John experience when he eats the book, and what command follows?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 139200–139208
10:1. And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head: and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. 10:2. And he had in his hand a little book, open. And he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth. 10:3. And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth. And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Lines 139214–139229
10:5. And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven. 10:6. And he swore by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven and the things which are therein, and the earth and the things which are in it, and the sea and the things which are therein: That time shall be no longer. 10:7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared by his servants the prophets. Declared.... literally evangelized, to signify the good tidings, agreeable to the Gospel, of the final victory of Christ, and of that eternal life, which should be the reward of the temporal sufferings of the martyrs and faithful servants of God.
Lines 139235–139244
10:9. And I went to the angel, saying unto him that he should give me the book. And he said to me: Take the book and eat it up. And it shall make thy belly bitter: but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. 10:10. And I took the book from the hand of the angel and ate it up: and it was in my mouth, sweet as honey. And when I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 10:11. And he said to me: Thou must prophesy again to many nations and peoples and tongues and kings.