Not Good News

Revelation 10:8 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.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And 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. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

To this point John was pretty much a passive observer to what was taking place before him. He was taking note of everything, but the events did not directly affect him. That now changed, as he was called on to do something similar to the prophet Ezekiel, who had been called on to give God's people a difficult message. John to was now being called on to take this message to the rebellious; it would affect him personally. God calls on us not just be observers, but voices of warning and woe.