Chapter 10 (Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent)
And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, he gave a great shout, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’ Then the angel whom I saw standing on 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 what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: ‘There will be no more delay, but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets.’
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, ‘Take it, and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.’ So I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
Then they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’
Commentary
How was John to devour the rolled-up scroll offered him by the angel in the Apocalypse, without teeth fit for such food? An entire book seemed to be tough food and therefore teeth were needed to break the whole into small pieces and to soften what was hard that it might be swallowed more easily. Surely a good tooth is a trained understanding which is spiritual, which judges everything, examines everything, chews on and scrutinizes everything, even the abyss of God, which chews even the very marrowof the rolled up scroll and consumes the vitals of wisdom. The fool, we read, folds his hands and consumes his own vitals. That is gory food, carnal food, food which perishes, or rather which destroys. How much more appetizing and healthful it is to consume the vitals of wisdom and the mysteries of the sacred word. (Abbot Gilbert of Hoyland)
The seven thunders uttering their voices signify the Holy Spirit of sevenfold power, who through the prophets announced all things to come, and by His voice John gave his testimony in the world; but because he says that he was about to write the things which the thunders had uttered, that is, whatever things had been obscure in the announcements of the Old Testament; he is forbidden to write them, but he was charged to leave them sealed, because he is an apostle, nor was it fitting that the grace of the subsequent stage should be given in the first. The time, says he, is at hand. For the apostles, by powers, by signs, by portents, and by mighty works, have overcome unbelief. After them there is now given to the same completed Churches the comfort of having the prophetic Scriptures subsequently interpreted, for I said that after the apostles there would be interpreting prophets. For the apostle says: And he placed in the Church indeed, first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28). (Victorinus of Pettau)
The angel lifting up his hand to heaven was our Redeemer carrying his humanity up to the Father's seat by his own power. His swearing by him that lives for ever and ever means that he shows that he, who is the Father's Word, and his flesh, which indicates the whole man, who consists of flesh and soul, are one person of God and the true God of man; or if it is not this, then certainly he swears by the Father because he attributes him everything. In what is said after that, who created heaven, and the things which are therein; and the earth, and the things which are in it; and the sea, and the things which are therein, he refutes the error of the heretics who are not afraid to claim that some things were made by the good prince and others by the prince of darkness. Now let us hear what he swore: That time shall be no longer, but in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared by his servants the prophets. The seventh angel and the seventh trumpet are the end of the Church's preaching, with the completion of which the second coming of the Lord is expected to take place. (Alcuin of York)
Musical Selections
Et vidi alium Angelum fortem descendentem de cælo amictum nube.
And I saw another strong Angel, descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud.
Et habebat in manu sua libellum apertum.
And he held in his hand a small open book.
Et dixit mihi: Accipe librum, et devora illum: et faciet amaricari ventrem tuum, sed in ore tuo erit dulce tamquam mel.
And he said to me: “Receive the book and consume it. And it shall cause bitterness in your stomach, but in your mouth it shall be sweet like honey.”
Et accepi librum de manu Angeli, et devoravi illum: et erat in ore meo tamquam mel dulce: et cum devorassem eum, amaricatus est venter meus:
And I received the book from the hand of the Angel, and I consumed it. And it was sweet like honey in my mouth. And when I had consumed it, my stomach was made bitter.
Man is born of woman
His days are few and full of trouble
He springs up like a flower and withers
And disappears like a fleeing shadow
If only You would hide me in the grave
Conceal me 'til Your anger has passed
Then I will answer You
When You call my name
When You long for the one
Your hands have made
All the days of my struggle
I will wait for my change
I will wait for my change to come
Only do not hide Your face from me
Don't take Your hand away
Don't take Your hand away
I will wait for my change to come
From the dust You have made me
And to the dust I will return
Surely You will count all my steps
But will not keep watch for my sin
The falling mountains crumble away
The water wears away the stones
Its torrents wash away
The dust of the earth
Only in You will I hope
All the days of my struggle
I will wait for my change
I will wait for my change to come
Only do not hide Your face from me
Don't take Your hand away
Don't take Your hand away (2x)
I will wait for my change to come
I will wait for my change to come (Fernando Ortega)
O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread thro' all the earth abroad
the honors of your name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease,
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life and health and peace.
He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.
To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above,
the Church in earth and heaven. (Charles Wesley)
COLLECT
O God, who have shown forth your salvation
to all the ends of the earth,
grant, we pray,
that we may look forward in joy
to the glorious Nativity of Christ.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.