Revelation Study

Revelation Study — Chapter 10

ANOTHER INTERLUDE

Just as there was a pause in the action or an interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seal, we have a pause or interlude between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpet. This present interlude seems to be a kind of summation of things that have gone on before.

Revelation 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:"

We had a mighty angel appearing in chapter five. Now we have "another" mighty angel. This angel evidently is a representative of the lamb, the Son of God. All his characteristics associate him with the Christ.

Vs 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,"

This was a "little" book in contrast to the book in chapter five which was described as being written on both front and back or filled to the fullest. That book was both the Old and New Testaments, while the little book was more than likely just the New Testament. The sea and the earth probably indicates that the little book was for all mankind.

Vss 3-4 "And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 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."

An awesome sound comes; the voice of seven thunders. But John was forbidden to write what the seven thunders had uttered. "Seal" up those things. Many commentators immediately begin to tell what it was that was to be sealed up. Well, they don't know and never will because permission was not given to John to reveal it. So we mortals dare not speculate.

Vss 5-6 "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 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:"

Some scholars presume that the angel is pronouncing the end of time. No, he was announcing that the time had come for the fulfilling of the things written by the prophets, that is, the end of Israel. There would be no more delay.

Vs 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."

Since only the Old Testament prophets are identified as "God's servants the prophets, the prophecies that were to be fulfilled were those revealed to them. All of their prophecies had been fulfilled except those pertaining to the desolation of Israel and the destruction of Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was destroyed "all things which are written" would be fulfilled. "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Luke 21:22).

Vs 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."

Here John is commanded to "take the little book."

Vss 9-10 "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. 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 next command was "eat it up." The result: sweet as honey to the taste, but bitter in the stomach. Remember, the little book was the revealed new covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ. A sweet message for all mankind but the preaching of it would bring bitter results. Jesus had said, "I came not to bring peace on earth ... but a sword." They who preached it would be persecuted and they who received it would be at war with the world, many times people of our own household.

The gospel was to be preached to "all the world" before the events of Matthew 24 could transpire. So Paul writes in the Colossian letter about 68 A.D. that it was done. (Colossians 1:5-6) "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world."

Now the event could take place.

Vs 11 "And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings."

There was still work to be done by John but if written in 96 A.D. as some say, John was old and frail and not fit for much more service. Jerome says, concerning John, "the apostle was so aged and weak and infirm that he was with difficulty carried to the church (sic) and could speak only a few words to the people." That being the case, if John wrote this book in 96 A.D. he would hardly be capable of fulfilling that statement. He still in 68 A.D. had much work to do.