1. And I saw another angel, a strong one, coming down out of heaven, encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow overhead, and His face as the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire. 2. And he had in his hand a little book opened, and he set his right foot upon the sea, and the left one upon the land. 3. And he cried with a great voice, as a lion roars, and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. 4. And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was going to write, and I heard a voice out of heaven saying unto me, Seal up the things that the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5. And the angel, whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the land, lifted up his hand into heaven. 6. And swore by the One living for ages of ages, Who created heaven and the things therein, and the land and the things therein, and the sea and the things therein, that time shall not be any more. 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is going to sound, and the mystery of God shall be accomplished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets. 8. And the voice that I heard out of heaven [was] speaking with me again, and saying, Go, take the little book opened in the hand of the angel standing upon [the sea and upon] the land. 9. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book, and he said unto me, Take it 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 book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up, and it was in my mouth as sweet honey, and when I ate it up my belly was made bitter. 11. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again about (super) peoples and nations and tongues and many kings.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

THE CONTENT OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

It still treats of the examination and making manifest [to show the state] of those who are in the Churches of the Reformed, here what they believe concerning the Lord, as being the God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught (Matt. xxviii 18); and that His Human is Divine: also that this has not been received there, and that it can be received with difficulty so long as the dogma of justification by faith alone is firmly fixed in [their] hearts.

THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES

1. And I saw another angel, a strong one, coming down out of heaven signifies the Lord in Divine Majesty and Power. Encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow overhead signifies His Natural Divine and Spiritual Divine. And His face as the sun signifies Divine Love, and at the same time Divine Wisdom. And His feet as pillars of fire signifies the Lord's Natural Divine as to Divine Love which supports all things. 2. And he had in his hand a little book opened signifies the Word as to this [point] of doctrine there, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine. And he set his right foot upon the sea and the left one upon the land signifies that the Lord has the entire Church under His auspices and dominion. 3. And he cried with a great voice as a lion roars signifies grievous lamentation that the Church has been taken away from Him. And when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices signifies that the Lord has disclosed throughout the entire heaven what is in the little book. 4. And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was going to write, and I heard a voice out of heaven saying unto me, Seal up the things that the seven thunders have uttered, and write them not signifies that these things are indeed made manifest, but that they are not received until after those who are understood by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, have been cast out of the world of spirits, because of the danger if [they were received] before. 5. And the angel, whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the land, lifted up his hand into heaven, [6] and swore by the One living for ages of ages signifies the Lord's attestation and testification by His Very Self. Who created heaven and the things therein, and the land and the things therein, and the sea and the things therein signifies Who makes all who are in heaven and who are in the Church, and all the things with them collectively and separately, alive. That time shall not be any more signifies that there shall not be any state of the Church or any Church, unless the one God is acknowledged, and that the Lord is He. 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is going to sound signifies the final examination and making manifest of the state of the Church, which is going to perish if a New one is not set up by the Lord. And the mystery of God shall be accomplished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets signifies that then it is going to become apparent that it has been foretold in the Word of both Testaments, and has been concealed up to this time, that after a last judgment upon those who have devastated the Church the Lord's kingdom is going to come. 8. And the voice that I heard out of heaven [was] speaking with me again, saying, Receive the little book opened in the hand of the angel standing upon the sea and upon the land signifies a command out of heaven that they should draw out that doctrine [concerning the Lord], but that it should be made manifest by means of John how it would be received in the Church before those were removed who are understood by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. 9. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book signifies a movement of the mind with many [in the Church] towards receiving the doctrine. And he said unto me, Take it and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey signifies that a reception resulting from the acknowledgment that the Lord is the Saviour and Redeemer is agreeable and pleasant, but that the acknowledgment that He Only is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult because of falsifications. 10. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth as sweet honey, and when I ate it up my belly was made bitter signifies it was so done, and thus was made manifest. 11. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again about (super) peoples and nations and tongues and many kings signifies because it is so, the quality of those who are in faith alone must be further taught.

THE EXPOSITION

In this and the following chapter it treats of the Lord, that He is the God of heaven and earth, and that He is God even as to His Human; consequently that Jehovah is He Himself. That it treats of this Truth (de Hoc) in these two chapters can be seen by virtue of the details in the spiritual sense, and of the conclusion thereof (chap. xi 55-17).