The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

(Ezekiel 3:1–15)

And I saw another strong Angel, descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet were like columns of fire.

And he held in his hand a small open book. And he stationed his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the land.

And he cried out with a great voice, in the manner of a lion roaring. And when he had cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: “Seal the things that the seven thunders have spoken, and do not write them.”(a)

(b)

And the Angel, whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the land, lifted up his hand toward heaven.

And he swore by the One who lives forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that are in it; and the earth, and the things that are in it; and the sea, and the things that are in it: that the time will not be any longer,

but in the days of the voice of the seventh Angel, when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God will be completed, just as he has proclaimed in the Gospel, through his servants the Prophets.(c)

And again, I heard a voice from heaven speaking with me and saying: “Go and receive the open book from the hand of the Angel who stands upon the sea and upon the land.”

And I went to the Angel, saying to him that he should give the book to me. And he said to me: “Receive the book and consume it. And it shall cause bitterness in your stomach, but in your mouth it shall be sweet like honey.”

And I received the book from the hand of the Angel, and I consumed it. And it was sweet like honey in my mouth. And when I had consumed it, my stomach was made bitter.

And he said to me, “It is necessary for you to prophesy again about many nations and peoples and languages and kings.”

Footnotes

(a)10:4 The seven thunders represent the period of time from after the first part of the tribulation through the end of the second part of the tribulation, that is why the Angel says that the mystery of God is completed by the end of the seven thunders.(Conte)

(b)10:4 I think that the seven thunders are seven kingdoms. The seven kingdoms are explained in Daniel, chapter seven.(Conte)

(c)10:7 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.(Challoner)