One Year Journey Through the New Testament
Revelation 10
Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!
The Mighty Angel with the Little Book
1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
(Revelation 10:1–7, NKJV)
Points to Ponder:
- After relating the vision of the four angels from the Euphrates, John moves to the account of a mighty angel holding a little book, speaking words that cannot be recorded, and the heavens being instructed that the seventh trumpet should be sounded.
- The mighty angel that came down from heaven was clothed with a cloud, and had a rainbow on his head. This reminds us of the image of God with a rainbow surrounding the throne. Perhaps this is a divine figure, or simply a messenger of the divine message. The mighty angel is another name for the angel Gabriel (“mighty one of God”). He had a face like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. The cloud was likely the vehicle on which the angel traveled, and the rainbow was a typical sign of a theophany. Perhaps like Moses, the angel could have had a face that shone like the sun because he had been in the presence of God. Also, the legs like pillars of fire is reminiscent of the guiding figure of Israel in the Exodus, the pillar of fire by night and pillar of smoke by day. As the angel steps on the sea and the land, he speaks and the voice was loud like a lion’s roar. At the time he spoke his message, seven thunders sounded and John was unable to record the message. He could have been unable to hear because of the thunders, or else he could have simply been instructed not to write. He was told to seal up the things spoken by the thunders. This did not suggest that he had written down the words of the thunders, but more so that he should not write them down. They were not for public consumption. They were perhaps for the moment and not for forever.
- After the angel spoke and the thunders sounded, John saw the angel still standing with one foot on the land and one on the sea. The angel raised his hand (supposedly the right hand, with the little book in the left hand) to heaven and swore by God who lives forever and ever, the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and the sea, with all of their respective inhabitants. His declaration was that the seventh angel should sound his trumpet without any further delay. This would usher in the finish of the mystery of God. The declaration of the servants of God, His prophets, must be revealed so that the future can be known and understood. How can an angel decide when God’s revelation should be opened to all? When these angels spoke, they were emissaries, messengers, of God. They did not speak with division or dissonance concerning God’s will and word. Instead, they spoke for God, in unity with God, and on message with God. When you speak, whether a pastor or a preacher or a witness, be sure that you are speaking for God and not yourself. Be in unity with Him and walk with Him. His will is of use to anyone. Your will may only be of use to you, and perhaps not even you. Hear from God before you speak for God.
John Eats the Little Book
8 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.”
9 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.”
10 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. 11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
(Revelation 10:8–11, NKJV)
Points to Ponder:
- After seeing the great angel holding the little book speak amidst the seven thunders, and then calling for the sounding of the seventh trumpet, John is then given further instructions concerning the little book.
- In this passage, John is instructed to ask for the little book and to eat it, similar to the command of God to Ezekiel in chapter 3 of his prophetic book. This command symbolizes the call to prophetic ministry, especially that prophecy that must be internalized and embraced by the prophet for its eschatological importance. John obeys the command to take the book by going and asking the great angel for the book that is open in the hands of the angel. This book could be the completely unsealed book or scroll from Revelation 5, or it could simply be a new book in the narrative of the vision. Since the contents of the Revelation 5 book were not actually revealed, only the actions accompanying the breaking of the seals, this could be that same book. The Lamb has broken the seals, and now its contents could be revealed to mankind. However, this is not certain. What is certain, however, is that this book, internalized and digested by John, is sweet to the mouth but bitter to the stomach. Being called to prophesy for the Most Holy God is a high honor and makes one feel the importance and joy of the act of commissioning. To be called by God is the highest calling of any on earth. However, the content of the book would prove to be dark and ominous, with curses and dread coming from that book. This is the bitter pill that must be swallowed when one accepts the call of God to speak judgment over the evil rebels that reject God and must come under His punishment.
- John is happy to answer the call and commission of God, but soon realizes that the message he must deliver is sad and dreadful. This message is supposed to have been sealed by Daniel, and perhaps runs parallel to the message of Ezekiel in its mode of delivery to the prophet. This message is the unfolding of words from God through the ages, and is now coming to fruition in this moment of John’s calling to deliver it. John is further told that this message must be delivered to “peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” John is commissioned to speak to world leaders and countries around the world that have not responded to the Christian gospel. He is to denounce their wickedness and call them to repentance. While multiple attempts at this have failed because of the hardness of their hearts, this message of judgment is given, but will likely go unheeded as well. John is given a nearly impossible task, and he knows it. This is the bitterness of calling the sinful to repentance.
- While the message is powerful and liberating, the prophet or preacher knows that many will not accept and be saved. The sweet message of salvation is joyful, but the rejection of the gospel is not only bitter because of the rejection, but also because of the judgment that will come upon those who reject it. Preachers preach praying and hoping for repentance and salvation, but the bitter stomach comes from those who need Jesus, but do not accept Jesus. We preach because we are called, but we mourn over those who refuse the blessed gift of grace. Yet we preach still, because the sweet calling is greater in our minds than the bitter rejection. At least some are saved, and that sweet payoff is worth the risk of bitter rejection.
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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.
Devoted To You 