The Mighty Angel and the Small Scroll

1Then I saw another mighty angela coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbowb over his head.A His face was like the sun, his legsB were like pillars of fire,c 2and he held a little scroll opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea, his left on the land, 3and he called out with a loud voice like a roaring lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices. 4And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders said,a and do not write it down! ”

5Then the angel that I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6He swore by the one who lives forever and ever,a who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will no longer be a delay, 7but in the days when the seventh angela will blow his trumpet, then the mystery of Godb will be completed, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”c

8Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”a

10Then I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I ate it, my stomach became bitter.a 11And they said to me, “You must prophesy again aboutA many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”a