RevelationStudy 18: Chapter 10, Verses 1-11

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;Speak of all Hiswonders.Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

1 Chronicles 16:9-10

1 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;

Who is the angel?

It isn’t Jesus, but it is an angel given a lot of authority (the focus is not on the angel)

Desciption:

“clothed with a cloud”

  • Shows his majesty? Purity? Authority?

“the rainbow was upon his head”

  • Shows that he had been in heaven and that he carried his authority from heaven
  • Rainbow – sign of the Noahic covenant (mercy)

“his face was like the sun”

  • His face was so bright and radiant that it shown

“his feet [were] like pillars of fire”

  • Wherever he stands, it will be felt

2 and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;

Same book as in Revelation 5:1???

His feet, “like pillars of fire,” were placed on the sea and the land

“He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land”

Everything is rightfully God’s

Psalm 24:1-2

The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

3 and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunderuttered their voices.

The angel’s cry is like a lion’s when it roars

  • Fierce
  • Powerful
  • Authoritative
  • Fearful

Hosea 11:10

They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar and His sons will come trembling from the west.

The angel’s cry gets a reponse from the seven thunders

The thunder could possibly be the voice of God

1 Samuel

Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel.

Isaiah 29:6

From the LORD of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise,
With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.

The main thing to note is that it is separate from the angel’s voice

4 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.”

“When the seven peals of thunder had spoken”

  • Communicated to John (Either spoke or some other way that John could understand)
  • He was about to write what the thunder spoke before being told not to

“Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.”

  • Whatever it was that they said, John was not allowed to write it
  • Why?

Daniel 8:26

“The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true;
But keep the vision secret, for it pertains to many days in the future.”

Daniel 12:8-10

8As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” 9He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. 10Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4

2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.3And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—4was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

  • Bottom line- God did not want it to be written; speculation is pointless

5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven,

Raising your right hand is a part of oath taking

  • Standard for taking a solemn vow

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 will be delay no longer,

The angel’s oath

His Basis: He swore by Him who lives forever and ever”

  • Forever and ever- designation of the eternity, power and sovereignty of God

The Power:

“WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT”

  • It is a reminder that it is God who created everything and it is God who has power and authority over everything

The Oath:

  • “there will be delay no longer”
  • What is this delay referring to? (vs. 7)

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 Hepreached to His servants the prophets.

The delay that is no longer is that “the mystery of God is finished”

  • Mysteries of the kingdom (Matt 13:11)
  • Mystery of Israel’s blindness (Rom 11:25)
  • Mystery of the Rapture (1 Cor 15:51)
  • Mystery of lawlessness (2 Thess 2:7)
  • Mystery of Christ (Eph 3:4)
  • Mystery of the Incarnation (1 Tim 3:16)
  • Mystery of God (Rev. 10:7)

The mystery of God will be finished when “the voice of the seventh angel” sounds (Rev. 11:15).

The seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet judgment

  • “but in the … is about to sound”- Covers the seven bowl judgments (16:1-21)
  • indicates that the judgment is about to come and that it is not a single even, but covers days
  • Time of God’s patience has come to an end
  • Building up to Rev. 11:15

So what is the mystery?

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of HisChrist; and He will reign forever and ever” (Revelation. 11:15).

  • The summing up of all things (Eph 1:10) and the consummation of Christ’s kingdom (Col. 1:15-20)

What is the purpose of mysteries?

8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take thebook which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”

The same voice John had heard earlier. And he is commanded:

  • “Go, take thebook which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”

9 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”

Compare to Ezekiel 2:9-3:3

Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe. Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

John goes and takes the book

10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

John eats the book, and what it said will happen becomes a reality

Sweet- John wanted the Lord to act in judgment to take back the earth that is rightfully His and be exalted, honored, and glorified and He deserved.

Bitter- the realization of the terrible doom awaiting unbelievers

11 And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

John receives a second commission (See Rev 1:19)

  • Write the rest of the prophecies that God would give him
  • What he was about to learn was going to be more devastating than anything else up to this point
  • As well as more glorious

“concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

  • It would relate to everyone
  • A warning of what is coming