Revelation 10:1-11
Introduction
Chapter 10 is an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets, just like chapter 7 was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals.
This interlude will go from chapter 10:1 to 11:14.
This section contains no reference to the judgments on mankind, but consoles believers by reiterating God's role as the Sovereign ruler over the earth.
He will not only judge the wicked, but also will exalt the suffering believers in His time.
Chapter 10 is laid out in two parts:
- An announcement in verses 1-7.
- A re-commissioning of John as a prophet in verses 8-11.
v.1, “And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire”:
· There’s a change in John's role here:
o He leaves his role as an observer and he ends up at the very center of the stage.
o His new role also involves a change in his location: he moves from heaven to the earth.
· John sees “another strong angel coming down our of heaven.”
· Who is this “strong angel?”
o Some thinks it’s Gabriel or Michael:
Ø But, there are many angels besides Gabriel and Michael, who have play a part in Scripture, so this would be just a guess.
o The fact that he’s a “strong angel” doesn’t really tell us who it is.
o He’s described as “another strong angel”:
Ø He’s one in addition to others.
o Some believe this is the same “strong angel” that was mentioned in 5:2 because he speaks with a loud voice.
o Some believe this is Christ, because he is strong and in a cloud.
o Here are three reasons why it’s not Jesus:
Ø First, Christ is never called an “angel” in Revelation.
Ø Second, when the Scripture refers to the Son of God, the text is never unclear.
Ø Third, what absolutely forbids this angel from being Christ is an oath sworn by the angel in vv.5-6, one that could never come from the lips of the second person of the Trinity.
o It’s best to see this angel as similar to, but distinct from, the “strong angel” of 5:2:
Ø That’s the only “strong angel” mentioned earlier, so the “another” probably compares the two.
Ø This is as close as we can come, given the information that we have.
· John sees the angel in the process of coming down from heaven:
o This confirms for us, that John has moved from heaven, where he has been since 8:2, to the earth.
· Being “clothed in a cloud” adds to the glorious appearance of the angel:
o Heavenly beings often ascend and descend on clouds.
· The Greek word translated “rainbow,” literally means “iris,” which is the same word in 4:3 for the rainbow that encircles the throne in heaven:
o It brings to mind Divine majesty and shows us the importance of this angel.
o Remember back in 4:3, the rainbow, was compared to an emerald, with a number of shades of green.
o It’s a little different here:
Ø No mention of the emerald color.
Ø This rainbow would have multiple colors caused by the light of the angel's face.
Ø It might appear as a kind of glorious headband.
o God’s rainbow stands for more than just heavenly glory in the scripture:
Ø It promises mercy in the midst of judgment, just as it did in Noah's day.
· Comparing the angel's face to the sun, reminds us of the vision of Christ in 1:16:
o It shows us the power and magnificence of this strong angel.
o It’s not like Christ’s magnificence, but this is a glorious messenger of God.
· The word “feet” includes the angel's legs, as the word “pillars of fire” tells us:
o The description of the legs and feet as “pillars of fire” brings to mind the columns of fire that led the Israelites in the wilderness at night.
v.2, “and he had in his hand a little book which was open. And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;”
· Here’s another detail about the angel:
o He holds a little book, literally, and a little scroll, in his hand.
o This is different than 5:1, where the scroll lay upon the hand:
Ø In 5:2, the scroll was probably too large to be grasped in the hand.
o The Greek word for “little” is very specific: it clearly distinguishes this “little scroll” from the scroll in 5:1.
o The scroll is in the angel’s left hand, which will later allow him to raise his right hand to swear an oath.
· We don’t learn anything about the contents of the little scroll here:
o There’s no hint of the continuing trumpet visions.
o A similar case happened to Ezekiel 3:2,11.
o For Ezekiel it was a re-commissioning of his role as a prophet.
o And I believe that’s true, here, of John, which we’ll see later.
· The strong angel plants one foot on the sea and one on the land:
o This shows us that the angel has been given Divine permission to carry out judgment against a world that has continuously shown rebellion, idolatry and immorality.
v.3, “and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices”:
· Besides planting his feet on the earth and the sea, the strong angel cries out with a “loud voice”:
o This would be a cry of power and judgment.
o His “loud voice” will be heard!
o Comparing his voice to a lion's roar gives further emphasis to the power, strength and loudness of his voice.
· Comparing his voice to that of a lion's roar does not mean that the angel’s cry wasn’t able to be understood:
o It must've been understandable, and not just a noise, because John started to write down the details of it in the next verse.
· Though the text doesn’t reveal what the thunders were, it’s pretty safe to conclude that they will be seen, heard and understood:
o And God will use them to bring added terror before Christ’s return.
v.4, “And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them’”:
· Notice, John heard the seven peals of thunder --- was just about to write it down and --- he was stopped!
· If we look back at 1:19, we see John’s original instructions were “therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things":
o John was about to do just that.
· But "a voice from heaven" stopped him:
o This could be God the Father or Jesus who gave the original command to “write” back in 1:19.
· The voice says, “seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken":
o “John, do not write this down!”
o Once again, this we see a Divine principle:
Ø Though God has revealed much, there are secrets, which God has not seen fit to reveal to man at this time.
· Some believe that by John not recording this information, it amounts to a shortening of the Great Tribulation for the sake of the elect:
o However, that can’t be proven.
o The series of bowl judgments, which is still future, argues against this idea.
· All we really know is that John was forbidden from revealing what the seven thunders are going to be:
o These are some sort of judgments, but we can only speculate, and we shouldn’t do that.
v.5, “And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven”:
· The angel lifts his right hand to heaven:
o This would be the customary gesture of a person taking a solemn oath.
o The direction of the hand is “to heaven” because that is God's dwelling place.
Notice what the angel does in v.6.
v.6, “and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there shall be delay no longer”:
· After lifting his hand, this strong angel commits himself to an oath.
· The “swearing by an oath” tells us that this as a very serious moment:
o God takes oaths, or vows, very seriously.
o James 5:12, “Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.”
· The expression “him who lives forever and ever” is common in Revelation:
o It’s a reference to the eternally existing God.
· Notice how specific the angel is, “who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it”:
o Here, the angel adds God's work as Creator of all things to reinforce the importance of the oath even more.
o This angel is swearing an oath and God is his witness!!
· All of this seriousness sets the stage for a simple, but extremely important part of the oath, “there shall be delay no longer.”
· This statement corresponds to the question of the martyrs in 6:10, “How long O Lord?”
o It lets us know that the answer to the prayers of the saints is now about to receive its final fulfillment.
o The rest of God's plans are about to be fulfilled.
v.7, “but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets”:
· We learn from this that we’re not at the immediate end of the judgments.
· The completion of the hidden purpose of God has arrived:
o But it’s in combination with the seventh trumpet, which hasn’t yet blown.
· Notice, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel” gives us a time-line:
o The sounding of the seventh trumpet marks the completion, or fulfillment, of the mystery of God.
o These judgments will not come to a conclusion until the seventh trumpet sounds.
o At that time, then God will conclude with the judgment of the seven bowls (16:1), the battle of Armageddon, the Millennial reign of Christ, and finally a new heavens and a new earth, and the eternal state.
· John says, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished”:
o It’s best to see the expression "the mystery of God" as God's purpose of bringing His kingdom on earth into existence:
Ø This purpose, this “mystery,” has been hidden from the world, as far as all the details are concerned.
Ø It will finally happen with the complete salvation of the saints and the completed kingdom.
· The fact that God preached it to "his servants the prophets" shows that the unfolding of this prophetic mystery was partially revealed in the Old Testament descriptions of the establishment of the kingdom:
o The prophets of old didn’t necessarily understand all that they were saying on God’s behalf.
o The mystery of God consists of these previously unrevealed details, which will unfold in the remaining chapters of Revelation.
o Those chapters will tell of the institution of God’s kingdom on earth and eventually in the new heavens and new earth.
· This was good news to the prophets:
o The prophets came to the Israelites who refused the good news about the kingdom time and time again.
o Ultimately, the good news is not about the martyrdom of the saints or the judgment of God's enemies.
o It’s about the kingdom of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.
· We need to remember that both God’s people and is enemies will encounter hardships along the way, but the news of the coming kingdom is ultimately good.
v.8, “And the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, ‘Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.’”
· A second command comes to John from the voice in heaven:
o It says, “go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”
o John hears the same voice as in v.4 speaking to him.
o It must have been an authoritative voice, otherwise, John probably wouldn’t have wanted to approach the “strong angel.”
o How would you feel if you saw this angel with one foot on the land and one on the sea?
o Would you eagerly approach him and ask him for something?
· John receives instructions to go and take the unsealed and opened little scroll from the angel's hand.
· The angel’s stance reminds John of the angel’s complete authority over the whole earth in this situation.
v.9, “And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, ‘Take it, and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey’”:
· John approaches the angel and requests little scroll:
o “And I went to the angel” shows that John left his former place as a spectator and became an active member of this scene.
o He tells the angel to give him a little book.
o The angel responds by not only giving him the book, but also by telling him to “take it and eat it.”
o Literally, he tells John to take and devour it.
· In the Hebrew culture, the word “eat” is an expression for receiving knowledge, similar to the English use of “digest” for considering and meditating on what has been learned.
· So the idea here is for John to completely digest what’s in the little scroll:
o He is to absorb and understand all of its contents.
· The angel anticipates the effect on John when he does eat a little scroll: there is bitterness in the stomach and sweetness in the mouth:
o The angel mentions bitterness first, probably because it’s the unexpected part of a prophet’s call.
o Sometimes pastors experience the same thing in ministry.
o For John, before the joys of the coming kingdom lay the bitterness of national, political and spiritual prophecies that John must deliver.
o His stomach will feel the bitter sensation.
· The sweetness, compared to honey, probably represents the joys of the coming kingdom that are part of these prophecies:
o It could also speak of John’s satisfaction knowing God’s will for the future.
· The words of the little scroll, when digested, bring sadness over the news of persecution, apostasies, and judgments.
· The bitterness and sweetness don’t pertain to different parts of the little scroll, but to the emotions of John at different stages throughout the remainder of his vision.
v.10, “And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter”:
· John does what the angel tells him to do. He took the little book from the angel’s hand and he ate it, literally.
· The results are exactly as the angel said, except in reverse order – sweetness in the mouth and bitterness in the stomach:
o This little book gave John an upset stomach because he knew what was yet to come.
o But he wasn’t allowed to write it down.
· This reversal brings the bitterness is part of John’s re-commissioning in v. 11.
· We can imagine how the remainder of John’s prophetic career will involve predictions of severe judgments and that will leave his stomach upset.
v.11, “And they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings’”:
· Here, John receives direct guidelines about his future ministry.
· Notice he says “you must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings”:
o “It’s necessary, John. You must prophecy again, John”
o He receives a command and it’s not a matter of whether or not he wants to or not.
o It’s a necessity because it’s the will of God.
o It’s the call upon a man’s life.
· The word “again” shows that this is not a new commission, but the renewal of old one:
o It links what he has been doing before, with what he must do again.
· The rest of the prophecies of this book are more burdensome than anything prophesied up to now:
o Can you imagine the heaviness of his heart?
o Can you imagine the bitterness of his stomach?
· This new command to prophesy puts John side-by-side with Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah and the rest of the prophets of God.
· The subject of his future prophecy is fourfold. Notice ---“concerning many peoples and nations, tongues and kings.”
· Some of John’s remaining prophecies will be quite favorable toward the redeemed, so it would be wrong to say he must prophesy only against the certain groups of people
· There’s mention of three of the four groups that came earlier in 5:9, “peoples and nations and tongues”:
o The inclusion of “kings” in this group reminds us that God’s Word, through His prophets, outranks the highest human authority.
o The specific mention of kings focuses special attention on rulers as distinguished from their peoples.
· “Many” applies to all four terms in the list and emphasizes the vastness of the remaining prophecies.
· The impact of his prophecies would go far beyond John’s immediate time and geographical circumstances and carry on until the day of Christ’s return.
If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, if you are trusting in His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life, then you have nothing to worry about when it comes to these future judgments.
“THEREFORE having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:1–11).
“9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep (physically dead), we may live together with Him. 11 Therefore, encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:9–11).
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you continue to trust in His death and resurrection, His grace and mercy and His sacrifice on our behalf.
By His Grace,
Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.
