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Rev. 10:1,2:  And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;...
          Though sufferings may appear cruel and strange, they are the cause of all benefits. When they drive us to despair, we are near the greatest wealth. The last woes seemed without remedy; the servants of God and followers of truth seemed destroyed by those who help lies to triumph and reign. Sin has become stronger and virtue is gone from the earth; God even seems to aid in causing this situation, driving away the virtuous ones. (There is some truth in this, since He wants to destroy in them any carnality that did not come from Him).
         Oh death, oh misfortunes, oh losses, oh despairs, what good comes from you! You bring life, joy, possession and salvation!
         An angel, so strong and mighty, comes after the destruction! Nothing is stronger; all other forces compared with this one are very weak. Here we see truth, divine truth; this truth came down and the Book of truth comes to earth to be discovered.
         Oh truth, ignored, buried, bound, hidden till now, you are going to be made known! This angel is "clothed with a cloud," to let us know that however clear truth may be in this life, it is always accompanied by some cloud. It is not so in heaven. This angel had "a rainbow upon his head," a sign of general reconciliation and of changelessness, and steady and perfect peace on the part of God for men. Error and lie have drawn God's anger on earth; truth is going to bring peace, quietness and joy. Oh peace, so fought and spoken against, you will be victorious!
         "The face" of the herald is like "the Sun" because truth dispels the darkness of error and of lying, as the day dispels the night. All darkness and night comes from the absence of the sun, as the day exists by its presence; even so all errors, wanderings, and ignorance come from the absence of Truth, as all lights by its presence.
         "His feet" are ''as pillars of fire," to show that truth is founded on a firm and unchangeable love. The book he had in his hand points to the manifestation of this truth and on the land shows that this truth must be shown everywhere, even inwardly and outwardly.

Rev. 10:3,4: ...and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them."
         The Truth will be announced with such might by the voice of the "Lion" who has been chosen to manifest that Truth to the world, that there is no comer in the earth where it will not be heard. But while this Herald of truth announces truth to the whole earth, there are "seven thunders" of the truth. But though the noise of these thunders is heard everywhere, what their voices express is known only by John, and the few persons it pleases God to show.
         There are two things in truth, one that must be published to everybody, the other that must be sealed and hidden, because the world cannot take it. He to whom it is shown must keep it within.
         Oh truth, hidden in the midst of sufferings, who could understand you? If you were uncovered and announced, who could hear? You are enclosed in the depth of the heart of those to whom you revealed yourself.
         There are seven voices of the truth that must not be uncovered to men. They are hidden because of the corruption of men.

Rev.10:5-7:  And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there shall be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
         The angel swore that time would be no longer. But for manifesting hidden truth, the last herald of truth must sound the trumpet, or it will not appear.
         I shall be known, says this Truth, but I shall not be listened to and understood. Afterward, I will be heard and understood and I will give the understanding of my mystery, when the time will be ripe; but the time for my being heard is far and the time for my being understood is still farther.

Rev. 10:8:  And the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."
         This last voice, that of the sixth angel, came from the altar of sacrifices. It is also the voice that performs the last sacrifice. It comes from God Himself. Oh Voice, how frightful, sweet and charming you are! This same voice orders John to take the little book from the hand of the angel. It is a command, a mission to publish the truth.
         Oh God, You have had, You do have, heralds of the truth, but what persecution they have met, and will meet!

Rev.10:9:  And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it, and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."
        Truth must be devoured; the soul must receive it, eat it, devour it; then the soul will be devoured by the truth. It must be received in the soul before it is given to others!
         All that is not given out by experience is not a true light.
         We must be placed in truth before teaching it. We must, like John, not only have heard the truth but we must have understood and experienced it...before showing it to others!
         But no sooner is it received and devoured than the stomach is bitter and the mouth, sweet. Truth has something so sweet for the will, typified by the mouth, that it is a delight to the soul. What joy and satisfaction for the soul to which truth is communicated! But in the belly is bitterness; and this is the difference between the truth which is manifested to the soul for its own benefit and truth which is given to the soul for others. As long as truth is given only for the Christian's own benefit, it is only sweetness. But when it is given for others, all the inner parts are full of pain. What pains, weariness, slanders!
         Paul assured us that he bore his dear spiritual children when he saw them going astray (Gal. 4:19). I challenge anyone to be able to understand what these pains are if they do not share in such an experience.

Rev. 10:10-11:  And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."
         John admits that there was for him the greatest sweetness when he received the truth, but after devouring it he suffers untold "bitterness" inwardly. Right away he is told to prophesy before the nations. He has to show this truth in many places, before peoples and before kings. All the sufferings that the saints have before reaching the knowledge of the truth when they are saints for themselves only, are not to be compared to the sufferings endured by the apostolic men appointed to help others. God has them to go through many states, with more hardships and depth than if they were only to take care of their own sanctification. God wants to give them the light of their experience, so as not to make a mistake in directing souls. Therefore a great discernment is given them. They have borne and are acquainted with so many weaknesses that now they are not surprised at any weaknesses in others. Jesus Christ took our nature to teach us that in order to be truly compassionate, we must touch the same weaknesses others have.
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^{(1) Guyon, Mme. Jeanne, CHRIST OUR REVELATION, Gardiner, Main, Reprinted 1987 Christian Books Publishing House ( Book in now out of print)}

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