1   Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was wrapped in cloud, with the rainbow round his head; his face shone like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire. 2   In his hand he held a little scroll unrolled. His right foot he planted on the sea, and his left on the land. 3   Then he gave a great shout, like the roar of a lion; and when he shouted, the seven thunders spoke. 4   I was

The powers of darkness conquered about to write down what the seven thunders had said; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said; do not write it down.’ 5   Then the angel that I saw standing on 6   the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them: 7   ‘There shall be no more delay; but when the time comes for the seventh angel to sound his trumpet, the hidden purpose of God will have been fulfilled, as he promised to his servants the prophets.’

8   Then the voice which I heard from heaven was speaking to me again, and it said, ‘Go and take the open scroll in the hand of the angel that stands on the sea and the land.’ 9   So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it, and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, although in your mouth it will taste sweet as honey.’ 10   So I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it did taste sweet as honey; but when I swallowed it my stomach turned sour.

11   Then they said to me, ‘Once again you must utter prophecies over peoples and nations and languages and many kings.’

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