Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” (Rev 10:8-11 NKJ)
Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. “For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, “not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. “But the house of Israel will not listen to you because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted. (Eze 3:1-7 NKJ)
Most times the prophetic call comes early in the book, Jeremiah chapter 1, Ezekiel chapter 3, and Isaiah chapter 6. For John, however, it arrives in the tenth chapter. The call to take the Word and, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” John firstly had to eat the book, and digest it. Fully understanding the Word caused his stomach to turn sour, but the words in his mouth were sweet as honey.
When a Christian speaks without understanding it is like indigestion, the mouth is full of bile, bitter and judgemental. Understanding of God love produces grace.
