Revelation 10 (NET)

The Angel with the Little Scroll

1 Then1 I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped2 in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire.3 2 He held4 in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. 3 Then5 he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. 4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but6 just then7 I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.” 5 Then8 the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will be no more delay!9 7 But in the days10 when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed,11 just as he has12 proclaimed to his servants13 the prophets.” 8 Then14 the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak15 to me16 again,17 “Go and take the open18 scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So19 I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He20 said to me, “Take the scroll21 and eat it. It22 will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 So23 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it did taste24 as sweet as honey in my mouth, but25 when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. 11 Then26 they27 told me: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations,28 languages, and kings.”

1tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision. 2tn Or “clothed.” 3tn Or “like fiery pillars,” translating πυρός (puros) as an attributive genitive. 4tn Grk “and having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he.” 5tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision. 6tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. 7tn The words “just then” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. 8tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision. 9tn On this phrase see BDAG 1092 s.v. χρόνος. 10tn Grk “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.” 11tn The aorist ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh) has been translated as a proleptic (futuristic) aorist (ExSyn 564 cites this verse as an example). 12tn The time of the action described by the aorist εὐηγγέλισεν (euhngelisen) seems to be past with respect to the aorist passive ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh). This does not require that the prophets in view here be OT prophets. They may actually refer to the martyrs in the church (so G. B. Caird, Revelation [HNTC], 129). 13tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1. 14tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision. 15tn The participle λαλοῦσαν (lalousan) has been translated as “began to speak.” The use of πάλιν (palin) indicates an ingressive idea. 16tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.” 17tn Grk “again, saying.” The participle λέγουσαν (legousan) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. 18tn The perfect passive participle ἠνεῳγμένον (hnewgmenon) is in second attributive position and has been translated as an attributive adjective. 19tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the voice. 20tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. 21tn The words “the scroll” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context. 22tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. 23tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the angel. 24tn Grk “it was.” The idea of taste is implied. 25tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. 26tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision. 27tn The referent of “they” is not clear in the Greek text. 28tn Grk “and nations,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the next item since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.