Revelation 10

April 13, 2017

Andrea Hutchinson

Revelation 9 left off with the sounding of the sixth of seven trumpets, which ushered in the end of all things. Now, the seventh trumpet is introduced and stopped from sounding it’s purpose, heralding the second interlude until Rev.11:15, the first being in Rev.7:1-17. The interludes while dramatic, appear to show God’s mercy in allowing more opportunity for repentance. It is as though God brings things to the brink, then pulls back a little to grant mankind more time.

The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.

Many have identified this mighty angel as Jesus because some of the imagery also applies to Him. Revelation 1:15-16 also describes Jesus with “His countenance . . . like the sun shining in its strength”; as does 5:2, Mat.17:5 and 24:30. However angels are never clearly identified as a representation of Jesus in Revelation or in the NT, though He is clearly associated with the Angel of the Lord in the OT. Whoever this angel is, he clearly has come from the very presence of God, wielding great might and authority.

The rainbow brings the mind to the sign of God’s pledge never to destroy the earth again by a flood Ge 9:8–17. The reference: “legs were like fiery pillars.” takes us back to the exodus and the pillars of fire and cloud that guided and protected the Israelites during their wilderness journey
Ex 13:21-22 and Ex 14:19, 24.

2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

The angel was holding a little scroll/book. What is this book? Some wonder if it’s the scroll of 5:1-7; the book only Jesus was worthy to open. However, John uses different language. The scroll of ch. 5 was not described as little, and again, this book is held by an angel, not clearly identified as Jesus and he refers to the book as little. It is best that we see them as different. And no one knows what’s in it.

The angel’s stance belies his authority over the earth; over both the land and sea. It illustrates his command and universal control over the earth. Seeming to say that all things are under his feet. Again, giving wonder to who this angel is! Could it be Jesus? Eph. 1:22, 1Cor. 15:27, and He. 2:8 are all NT references to God giving ultimate authority to His Son. I found Hebrews 2:8 quite interesting in reference to Rev 10. and the phrase “and put everything under their feet.” “In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.”, in that Revelation is the beginning of the time when we will see everything subject to God and Christ. However, unlike Christ, this angel comes to earth before the time of tribulation is over. Therefore, we will leave the identity of this angel for God to reveal.

3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

This angelic servant shouts like a roar of a lion, and when he shouted the voices of the seven thunders spoke or “uttered their voices.” John was prepared to write what the seven thunders spoke but was stopped by a voice from heaven telling him to seal up what the thunders had said. So we see from the text in vs. 4 that John did hear instructions but was instructed not to write them down, indicating that God was not ready to reveal what was within the scroll. It shows us that we need to be humble and patient, and know that God has not revealed all to man yet. So we should not run ahead of God with theories and speculations, and proceed as though He has.

In my study it was often stated that the seven thunders and specifically the heavenly voice relates to the thunderous voice of God as described in Psalm 29, seven times repeating the phrase the voice of the Lord. Again, this gives into the idea that the angelic messenger in these verses is Christ, though it’s only speculation.
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

The mighty angel raised his right hand and gave a solemn oath to God, the Creator of all things in heaven, earth and sea, declaring that the end is irrevocably set in motion, that there should be delay no longer. There was absolutely no turning back. Only by the all powerful authority of our eternal Creator could this powerful angel declare that the mystery of God would be finished. After the sounding of the seventh trumpet there will be no delay in the unfolding of events leading to Christ’s return.

The term mystery is from the gk. mustērion: something that no one could know; a sacred secret, something concealed that can/will be revealed at a later time. It is a term used to refer to the secret of a king. In this context and for the sake of our study, the mystery of God appears to refer to the unfolding of His resolution of all things, the finishing of His plan; Christ’s return, as above.

While we don’t know the contents of God’s mysteries here, the accomplishment of God’s mystery was announced to His prophets. Significant aspects of this mystery have already been revealed through the OT and NT prophets. Still, much remains to be revealed and will only be understood as the events of the scroll take place.

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies 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 asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

Here we see John instructed to go to the angel and take the scroll and literally eat it. The angel warned John of the physical effects of eating the scroll and he tells us that his stomach did in fact sour. Upon eating the scroll John was called to be a prophet. Not a prophet to, but about peoples, nations, languages and kings. See Rev. 7:9 where John saw the multitudes.

Revelation 7:9
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
The message of the little scroll will involve suffering, bad news (sour stomach). God’s eternal purposes will experience no further delay the good news (sweet as honey in the mouth).

The use of similar expressions in 13:7; 14:6; 17:5 implies that John’s commission was to prophesy the Book of Revelation, the prophecy that speaks of all the events leading to Christ’s second coming. Whatever the content of the scroll, it is connected to John’s command to prophesy to all men. This is not a message just focused to the church, it speaks of the fate of the entire world, not just one people, nation or king.

Footnotes:
a Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3