The mighty angel held a little scroll in his hand (10:2). John is commanded to take this scroll and eat it (10:8-11). (See also, Books in Apocalyptic.)
Is this little scroll related to the seven-sealed scroll in Revelation 5? In Revelation 5 the Lamb was given a seven-sealed scroll (βίβλος); this is a little scroll (βιβλαρίδιον and βλαρίδιον, the diminutive of βίβλος), although in 10:8 John uses βίβλος for this scroll (in some manuscripts βιβλαρίδιον appears). Beale thinks there is enough similarity to enable the reader to see the scroll as not a “totally different kind of book” from chapter 5, “but only one on a smaller scale… John wants to underscore the fact that this is a “little book” in comparison to the big book of ch. 5, and that it is modeled on that larger book” (Revelation, 545). In both cases the scroll is in the right hand and in both cases, someone takes the scroll from the hand.
There are, however, serious differences between the two scrolls. The scroll in chapter 5 is written on both sides, sealed with seven seals, and given to the Lamb of God who is the only person in all of creation with the authority to open the scroll. The content of the scroll is Revelation 6:1-8:1, the seven seals. In Revelation 10, the scroll is already open, and the content of the scroll seems to be the word of God John will prophesy against the nations (v. 11). The identity of the mighty angel is important, since Beale argue the angel is Christ, he can see this scroll as the same: it was given to the Lamb, who opened the scroll, then passed it along to John to reveal to the nations.
Not every scroll in Revelation needs to be the same scroll. Scrolls appear often in Revelation (23 times). In Revelation 1:1 John is commanded to write into a scroll the message to the seven churches. This is clearly not the same scroll as the two-sided scroll in Revelation 5 or this little scroll in chapter 10. Nor are these scrolls the same as the “book of life” in Revelation 20:12.
Eating the scroll is a clear allusion to Ezekiel 2:9-3:3.
Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. 3:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Ezekiel’s first vision commissions him as a prophet. After seeing a revelation of the glory of God, he is shown a scroll written on both sides and he is told to eat it the scroll. Like Revelation 10, the scroll is “as sweet as honey.” Despite the words of lament and mourning, Ezekiel’s scroll does not turn his stomach bitter. He does have a bitter attitude toward his calling, “I went in bitterness (מַר) in the heat of my spirit” (3:14, the bitterness is omitted in the LXX). Although the word was sweet as honey to Ezekiel, the message was difficult. This is enough to convince Beale Ezekiel also experiences “sweet as honey” followed by bitterness.
What is the content of this little scroll? There are various attempts in the commentaries to make the content of this scroll the ensuing chapters of Revelation, but this overlooks the function of eating a scroll in Ezekiel. In Ezekiel, the scroll represented God commissioning the prophet to speak his words to God’s people. In Revelation 10:11, after he eats the scroll John is commissioned: “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings” (ESV).
It is possible to translate the angel’s words as “against the nations,” the use of ἐπί and dative case may reflect the “negative apocalyptic attitude toward the ungodly nations of the world” (Aune 2:773; (BDAG §12). The more neutral “about” (NRSV, ESV, NIV) is possible (BDAG §8). For Aune, the negative sense “against” is “confirmed by the negative character of the Christian witness” in passages like Matthew 10:18, Luke 12:11 and 21:12 in which the disciples are warned they will be witnesses against rulers (ἐπί + dative; Aune 2:574). Beale agrees, “the accent is on judgment of the unrepentant” (554).
It is perhaps significant the next chapter describes the activity of two witnesses who indeed prophesy against the nations and are killed on account of their testimony.
The little scroll is the Apocalypse and a second John is being told to eat it and prophesy again.
This was such a strange passage to read, it almost felt like it was coming from a children’s fable or fairy tale. What amazes me the most, as has been the case many times as I am reading Revelation and the corresponding blog posts, is the knowledge the original readers had of God’s word. It is hard for me to fathom reading this passage and not being completely confused. Yet, those who belonged to the early church knew the Old Testament so well that they would have understood it to be referring to Ezekiel. This would not have sounded like a strange myth to them but would have clearly been pointing to God’s commission to Ezekiel…and as a result John’s as well.
Additionally, I found the language used by John to describe the scroll as both “sweet as honey in my mouth” (10:10) but bitter when eaten, to be almost poetic in style. That God’s word, sweet and beautiful, must first be received by John in his heart before speaking it out loud (Johnson, 2008, 2477) would seem to be an obvious fact. But, to describe this common fact through the actual eating of the scroll emphasizes how important it is to fully devour God’s word. Yet, once he does eat it, it becomes bitter in his stomach. At first glance, this seems to contradict the reality of God’s word as sweet and perfect. However, to realize that the message John must speak to the world will be resisted by many, to the point of bitterness, is such a descriptive use of language and really brings the reality of the resistance and evilness that will be present at this point in time.
Reference
Johnson, D.E. (2008). Revelation. In The ESV Study Bible. Crossway Bibles.
This is a very thought-provoking blog post because of the linkage between the scroll that Ezekiel ate and the scroll that John was commanded to eat. There are obvious comparisons to these two occurrences for they both were easily consumed, and both were as sweet as honey. Moreover, as both Ezekiel and John ate the scrolls given to them bitterness soon followed. Whether the bitterness was in John’s stomach after consumption, or the bitterness that Ezekiel had when trying to deliver the message they both experienced the same outcomes when ordered to take their scrolls. Another way that this blog post stood out to me was the comparison between the content of Ezekiel and John’s scrolls that they ate. P.Long does a great job in this blog post depicting the comparisons between these two commands stating, “In Ezekiel, the scroll represented God commissioning the prophet to speak his words to God’s people. In Revelation 10:11, after he eats the scroll John is commissioned: “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings’ ‘ (P.Long). Overall, I think that God commanded these two prophets to eat their scrolls in efforts to speak God’s word to all that have sinned and have not repented. My personal guess is that the scrolls that both Ezikiel and John ate were orders and commandments that God wants mankind to follow on behalf of Ezikiel and John’s leadership. In tune, brings me back to the bitterness that these scrolls cast on the two prophets because delivering a command from God to mankind could be very trying for most of mankind will not listen or they will become defensive in what Ezikiel and John tell them to do; especially to the nations, people and their kings. These commandments from God can be hard to swallow because of the great intentions that God has are hard for mankind to comprehend.
Both John and Ezekiel describe the Angel, which gives them the scroll to eat. In similar ways, both Having a rainbow on their forehead and then also. Being shown with grand fire and light around them. When John is commanded to eat the little scroll, it is an illusion to Ezekiel 2:9-3: 3, since Rev10: 8 – 11 and Ezekiel 2:9- 3: 3 Has similar language, both say that the scroll is “as sweet as honey”. On eating the scroll, both the scroll written in revelations and Ezekiel are written on both sides And have words of “lamenting and mourning.” Something to point out though, the difference between the times in which Ezekiel is told only to prophecy against the “House of Israel” (Ezek 3:1), whereas John is going to be prophesying to various groups of people and nations languages and kings” (Rev 10:11). Unlike Revelations, though, Ezekiel’s passage does not say that eating a scroll will make his stomach feel Bitter. Long (020) commentates that although Ezekiel’s stomach is not feeling bitter, He still goes in bitterness to fulfill his role God have him.
There are several ways of translating the Greek word ἐπί for against the nations as something that has a negative emphasis for the judgment of the nations (Long, 2020). Beale believes that since ἐπί combined with a dative is used in other passages like Luke 12:11 that there is emphasis on those who in rebellion and not turning back to God.
It feels good to get to a point where I can read Revelation and now see the allusions to the Old Testament. Immediately when reading the vision the image of Ezekiel came to my mind from when he took and ate of the scroll. The words themself being sweet because they came from God, but feeling poor in the stomach because it was not the best news once consumed. I did not think about your closing point on tying this to the next chapter with the two witnesses as they speak the word of God against the nations. I do not know If I yet see the complete connection, but if it is this “retelling” of the trumpets, bowls, and seals being applied again, I would not be surprised. Looking at the reading that pairs with this, Goodrich draws the comparison between this section of Revelation and the book of Jubilees. This idea between both of a heavenly angel from God giving them a message to declare salvation and judgment over the nations seems to be a fair comparison (100). We have seen God raise up prophets in the past to deliver these messages in the Old Testament, and John’s audience would likely resonate with this hope of judgment over those opposed to God.