8 And the voice that I heard out of the heaven is again speaking with me, and saying, 'Go, take the little scroll that is open in the hand of the messenger who hath been standing upon the sea, and upon the land:' 9 and I went away unto the messenger, saying to him, 'Give me the little scroll;' and he saith to me, 'Take, 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 scroll out of the hand of the messenger, and did eat it up, and it was in my mouth as honey—sweet, and when I did eat it—my belly was made bitter; 11 and he saith to me, 'It behoveth thee again to prophesy about peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings—many.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Revelation 10:8-11
Commentary on Revelation 10:8-11
(Read Revelation 10:8-11)
Most men feel pleasure in looking into future events, and all good men like to receive a word from God. But when this book of prophecy was thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents would be bitter; there were things so awful and terrible, such grievous persecutions of the people of God, such desolations in the earth, that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would be painful to his mind. Let us seek to be taught by Christ, and to obey his orders; daily meditating on his word, that it may nourish our souls; and then declaring it according to our several stations. The sweetness of such contemplations will often be mingled with bitterness, while we compare the Scriptures with the state of the world and the church, or even with that of our own hearts.