And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. (Revelation 10:10)
Compare Eze. 3:3. As in Ezekiel’s experience, God’s messages to His servants have often been a mixture of sweetness and bitterness, for they may reveal both His love and His judgments. Prophets of God have experienced both the ecstacy of divine vision and the bitterness of delivering messages of rebuke to men.
In a specific sense the experience that came to John here in vision may be seen as typical of that of the advent believers in the years 1840-1844. When these believers first heard the message of the imminent second coming, it was to them “sweet as honey.” But when Christ did not come as they expected, their experience was indeed bitter. Compare on v. 9.