Revelation Chapter 10
| 1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: |
This is an intermediate vision concerning what takes place in the spiritual realm between the sixth and seventh trumpets. John sees a "mighty angel". This angel is described as being clothed with a cloud, wearing a rainbow-like crown (the rainbow is usually a sign of God's covenant with man), his face shone as bright as the sun, and his feet were ablaze like columns of fire. Some have suggested, because of this description, that this "mighty angel" must be Christ. This is unlikely. John had seen Jesus in various visionary forms and had walked with Him during His earthly ministry, it does not seem possible that he would describe the Saviour as a "mighty angel". We should leave the text as it is - the mighty angel is simply one of the highest orders of God's angels, otherwise we fall into the same trap as the Jehovah's Witnesses have. |
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| 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, | In this angels hand is a little scroll opened. This scroll possibly contains the record of the coming judgements on the earth during the last years of world history. The angel is seen placing a foot on the land and on the sea. Commentators, eager to see the angel as Jesus Christ, suggest that this is a sign claiming total dominion. Instead, given the details of this chapter, it is a sign of the completeness of God's judgement on earth. | |
| 3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. |
The angel lets out a loud shout which sounded like the roaring of a lion to the apostle John. Along with the shout came the sound of seven thunders. This thunder should be accepted as being the voices of other angelic beings in Heaven. |
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| 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. | John instantly interpreted these voices. He thought that he was supposed to write down what was said, but he was commanded not to do so. This part of the Revelation is God's secret - it will affect those living on earth at that time, but only God and those living in Heaven will know anything about it. We cannot surmise what it is all about - only God know these things - "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us" (Deuteronomy 29:29). | |
| 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, |
The mighty angel lifts up his hand as though he was about to make an important proclamation. |
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| 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: | He spoke in the name of the only true God (not any 'god' as in Pantheism, but in name of the only God). He declared that all things were about to come to an end, that there is no further delay in pouring out God's final judgement. The word 'time' here means 'delay' rather than the cessation of time itself, since there is still the 1,000 year reign of Christ to come. | |
| 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. |
It would be the seventh angel who would actually make the announcement regarding the world's final hours. This would be the fulfilment of all the Biblical prophecies regarding the last days events. It is also a looking forward the the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. |
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| 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. |
John is told to take the scroll from the mighty angels hand. This is a visionary enactment rather than a physical event. |
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| 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. | John asks the angel to give him the scroll. This was to be eaten. This is symbolic of meditating and thinking on the word of God, but in this case especially the last days events. | |
| 10 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. |
The scroll was sweet to the taste, but after digesting it, John found it turned sour in his stomach. The messages contained in the Book of Revelation (and Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel) have much joy, glory, peace and comfort for the reader, but they also contain descriptions of the bitterest times in world history. Is this the reason so few study Revelation? |
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| 11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. | The apostle John in turn would prophesy - speak of these very things - to many people. Through his writings he would reach down into the final hours of time and preach the truth. We take the teachings of Revelation to this world. The torch of responsibility is now ours. we too are commissioned to prophesy, not new things, but those revealed in this book. |