Pastors' Help - Revelation Capter Ten

THE ANGEL AND THE LITTLE SCROLL

The Darkest Hour of World History. 10:1-13:18.

The Angel with the Little Book. 10:1-11.

The tenth chapter presents a pleasant interlude. Another strong angel comes down out of heaven with a small book in his hand, and as John is about to record what he has seen, he hears a voice from heaven saying, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not (v. 4; cf. Daniel 12:9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.)

NOTE: If you consult commentaries or study Bibles regarding the book of Revelation be advised that some of them teach that the events mentioned in this book were fulfilled In the Old Testament. See Matthew 24:1-28; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-28. These passages clearly indicate that Jesus is teaching that the tribulation period is yet to come.

Apparently he never did record them, and so we do not know what the thunders said. The angel utters a famous, and more or less enigmatical, statement - There shall be delay no longer (ASV); or, as the margin reads, there shall be time no longer.

Swete translates this; There shall no more be any interval of time, any further delay. This declaration, coupled with the one immediately following, then is finished the mystery of God (v. 7), convince us that the purpose of this vision, and especially of these utterances, is to prepare us for the final pouring out of God's judgments, the close of the end of the age, and the destruction of the enemies of the Lamb.

10:1-6

The purpose of this mighty angel is clear--to announce the final judgments on the earth. His right foot on the sea and left foot on the land (10:2) indicate that his words deal with all creation, not just a limited part as did the seal and trumpet judgments. The seventh trumpet (11:15) will usher in the seven bowl judgments, which will bring an end to the present world. When this universal judgment comes, God's truth will prevail.

The angel with the small scroll

10:1-6

Mat 17:2 Rev 1:15, 16 4:3; 5:2; 18:1

REV 10:1 And 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 And 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,

There is no explanation as to why the little book is open. Verse 11 may give us a clue.

3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.

This verse is the only place seven thunders are mentioned in Scripture. In Revelation, lightning and thunder seem to be connected with significant events in heaven. They remind us of the lightning and thunder at Mount Sinai when God gave the people his laws (Exo 19:16). The Old Testament often uses such imagery to reflect God's power and majesty, i.e. Psalms 77:18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook, among others.

PSA 29:3-4 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Revelation 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.

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."

This is the only reference to the seven thunders in Scripture.

Evidently whatever is written in the “little book that was open” is not to be disclosed at this time. (Verse 2)

5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted 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,

It is clear that this mighty angel coming down from heaven (verse 1) is not Jesus as some allude to. Jesus does not swear by Himself.

7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God (musterion {moos-tay'-ree-on} the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly) would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

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 And 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 And 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.

The prophet Ezekiel had a vision in which he was told to eat a scroll filled with judgments against the nation of Israel (Eze 3:1 ff). The taste was sweet in his mouth, but the scroll's contents brought destruction--just like the scroll John was told to eat. God's Word is sweet to us as believers because it brings encouragement, but it sours our stomach because of the coming judgment we must pronounce on unbelievers.

Ezekiel 3:1-15 Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel."

11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."

Pastor Stan Smith

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