In this episode, we study Revelation 10:1-11, an interlude between the trumpet judgments in which John encounters a mighty angel who declares that God’s long-awaited plan is moving toward its fulfillment. J. Mark makes four key observations about this messenger—the stirring sight, the simple prohibition, the significant proclamation, and the singular scroll. Through these observations, we gain a deeper understanding of God’s unfolding plan and His patience toward humanity. We learn how God’s ultimate desire is that people come to him in repentance before the time of judgment arrives.
Transcript
“That’s it, you’ve crossed the line. I’ve had all I can take; this stops now! I’ve had it up to here.” All of us have either said similar words or at least thought them. We had a situation that tested the limits of our patience. When those limits were passed, we felt compelled to act.
The Bible repeatedly encourages and commands us to practice patience and forbearance. Yet throughout history, God’s people have struggled with the fact that God’s patience seems far greater than ours. Many of these struggles are recorded in the Psalms, such as “How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked [rejoice]? They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly; all who do wickedness vaunt themselves” (Psalm 94:3-4).
The prophet Habakkuk cried out, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why [then] do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (Hab. 1:13).
Conversely, some people mistake God’s patience for approval or indifference. In Romans 2:4-5, Paul wrote, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart, you are accumulating for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God…”
And make no mistake, the time is coming when the cup of God’s indignation will be full, and the unbelieving will be forced to drink it. Revelation 14:10 records that those who worship the Beast “shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” Worshipping the beast and his image, and receiving his mark of identification, is the ultimate repudiation of God’s patience and mercy!
The text for our study in the Book of Revelation today is chapter 10, which marks the beginning of an interlude within the trumpet judgments. The 7th trumpet, which contains the seven bowl judgments, is not sounded until Revelation 11:15 and is the culmination of the three woes pronounced in 8:13. The bowl judgments are not revealed until the beginning of chapter 15. This interlude is introduced by a unique celestial messenger.
This section, from chapters 10-14, could be considered the proverbial “eye of the storm” as far as the Tribulation is concerned. This doesn’t mean that the earth will enjoy peace, because the nations will be in turmoil as the Antichrist tries to gain complete control over the entire world and every facet of human existence.
Let’s turn our attention to the text, Revelation 10:1-11.
1I 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 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,
3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.
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.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised 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,
7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God 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 So 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 Then 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.
11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
Our OBSERVATIONS of the celestial messenger in this text help us to understand God’s unfolding plan for the final days of human history.
The First Observation is,
A Stirring Sight
John writes, “I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven.” It seems evident that this angel isn’t one of the seven trumpet angels. As I noted in the introduction, the 7th trumpet doesn’t sound until 11:15. It is preceded by a new series of visions (10:1-11:14). Nor is he one of the four fallen angels associated with the 6th trumpet. His extraordinary appearance and the uniqueness of his message indicate that his mission is of utmost importance.
In John’s vision, he sees the stirring sight of this angel descend to the earth in real time; it is happening as he watches. The angel is wrapped/enveloped in a cloud and has a rainbow on his head. In Scripture, clouds represent different things; one is glory, and another is judgment. Jeremiah 4:13 and Ezekiel 30:3, among others, associate clouds with God’s judgment. So I conclude that this angel is a messenger of judgment.
Further, he has a rainbow on or above his head. The rainbow symbolizes God’s covenant. God’s judgment is about to be unleashed in keeping with the covenant he made with His people. His countenance is like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He is the embodiment of Psalm 104:3, “Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.”
While the description of this angel is similar to the description of the Son of Man in Revelation 1:15-16, this angel is not Christ. Christ is not an angel, and scriptures such as Hebrews 1 consistently teach that He is distinct from and greater than angels. The language here is intended to show us that God sent this angel to announce judgment according to God’s plan.
In the hand of the angel, a little book is lying open. The contents of the scroll are not revealed until Revelation 11:13. The grammar indicates that this book was opened at some point in the past and remains open. That is in contrast to the seven-sealed scroll of chapter five.
There, the Lamb takes the seven-sealed book from the hand of the one sitting on the throne. In successive chapters, the scroll is unrolled, unveiling the judgment symbolized by the seals. This book is already open and specifically called “a little book,” referring to its small size. A single Greek word describes the previous scroll, whereas the diminutive form is used here.
John goes on to describe this unique angel as colossal, standing astride the earth and sea. His right foot on the sea and his left on the Earth seems to imply that his mission involves the whole world. It is a bold and graphic picture!
The Next Observation is,
A Simple Prohibition
As John continues to observe the scene, the mighty angel cries out in a loud voice, like the roar of a lion. That doesn’t mean the sound wasn’t understandable and was merely noise; it was just very loud. In response to the angel’s cry, the seven thunders uttered their voices. Remember, seven is the number of completeness.
In Psalm 29, David describes God speaking through the sevenfold voice of a thunderstorm. In John 12:27-29, Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
When the seven thunders had sounded, John was preparing to write down what he heard. That means what he heard was understandable. I have a mental picture of John, raising his writing instrument and preparing to make the first pen stroke, when all of a sudden, the voice says, “Don’t do that.” Instead, the voice from heaven commanded, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” This is the opposite of the command he was given in Revelation 1:11. However, it is similar to the command given to Daniel in Daniel 12:4.
Evidently, the seven thunders are aspects of divine wrath that God orders to be concealed for the moment rather than revealed. Recall that the apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:3-4, also saw heavenly things that he was not permitted to speak about or disclose.
Try to imagine the impact this stirring sight and this simple prohibition had on John as he recorded his vision.
The Next Observation is,
A Significant Proclamation
In verse 5, John resumes the picture of the mighty angel astride the land and sea. In that unique position, he raises his right hand toward heaven. This is the customary gesture in Scripture, and even today, of someone about to take an oath.
The angel swore by “The living one for ages of ages.” This is a common phrase in the Apocalypse for God’s eternal existence (Rev. 1:18; 4:9-10; 15:7). This oath proves that this angel is not Christ. The angel includes God’s creative activity, which spans the universe, in the oath.
And what is the subject of the angel’s oath? KJV says “that there should be time no longer.” NKJV and others say, “there will be no more delay.” This is not the end of time nor the cessation of it. It simply means there will be no more delay in the fulfillment of the 7th trumpet. This is the answer to the question of the souls under the altar in Revelation 6:10 crying out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
In the days of the voice of the 7th angel (trumpet), when he is about to sound (11:15), then the mystery of God will be finished according to the good tidings He declared. Note the plural “days” regarding the 7th trumpet. As we will see, these judgments occur over time. We should also note that this final trumpet contains the last of the three woes pronounced in Revelation 8:13. This last woe is the worst of all!
The angel refers to “the mystery of God.” Mystery in Scripture is “that which has previously not been revealed,” see Romans 11:25-36; Eph. 1:9-10, etc. Here, apparently, the whole purpose of human history is in view. It includes judgment, as described in the book of Revelation, and the overall outworking of history, including the salvation of the Jewish people and of others who come to faith in Jesus. The angel says that the mystery of God will be declared. This is the same word that is used to announce the good news of salvation (euangelidzo).
As we reflect with John on the stirring sight, the simple prohibition, and the significant proclamation, our final observation is…
The Final Observation is,
A Singular Scroll
Once again, John hears, not the voice of the angel, but the voice from heaven. He is commanded to “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” Leaving his position by the doorway to heaven (4:1), John moves to meet the angel and to fulfill the command the voice from heaven gave him. What was in this little book that was so important? It contains all the information regarding the 7th trumpet with the bowl judgments. We find these in Revelation 15-17.
Accordingly, John says to the angel, “Give me the little book.” It is not a request; it is a command as John obeys what he was commanded to do. The angel, also a creature under authority, responds by saying, “Take and eat it (down); and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah had similar experiences; however, bitterness is not mentioned in either case.
The clue to the symbolic meaning of eating the little book is found in verse 11. It specifically states that the book’s content is prophecy, future prophecy regarding the middle and second half of the Tribulation. To many professing Believers, prophecy is “sweet.” They are interested in teaching on the prophetic Scriptures. Some speakers and authors have made a very lucrative business of that sweetness and interest through books, movies, and conferences.
However, the sweet taste the prophecy left in John’s mouth was quickly followed by the bitterness in his stomach. That should be the experience of every genuine Believer. According to Ezekiel 33:11, God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” That sentiment is not limited to Israel; it is God’s heart for all people!
Even as we’ve been viewing these horrible judgments that will be visited on the wicked during the Great Tribulation, we must remember that judgment is not God’s ultimate goal. No, these judgments are poured out with the hope that mankind will repent and turn to God. There is a sense in which these judgments are acts of mercy. They are meant to bring mankind face to face with the holiness of God and cry out to Him in repentance.
According to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 5:9, the only way to escape this coming judgment is the Rapture. To qualify for the rapture, one must accept Jesus as the Messiah, not just intellectually but in a transformative way. Jesus must be both Savior and Lord!
This knowledge of the coming judgment should motivate every Believer to share the Gospel. No Christ-follower should ever have the attitude, “Oh, I can’t wait until the wicked get what they deserve!” We must remember that apart from Christ, we are under the same judgment. And just as we have little concept concerning the glories of Heaven, so we have little concept of the horrors of eternal Hell. Sadly, there is a continuing element within Christendom seeking to diminish its horrors or erase them through the false teachings of conditional immortality and universalism. May God have mercy upon us!
We must remember that John’s real-life experience mirrored the prophecies being revealed to Him. He had partaken of the Word of God and had experienced the sweetness of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. Yet it was because of this same Jesus that he was in exile. This is a reminder to us that life with Christ is a mixture of joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, blessing and suffering. In the end, it will be worth it all to see our Savior face to face!
The angel’s final message to John was, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” This statement points to what was already disclosed and describes vivid, dramatic action in the present tense – you must again be prophesying. Yes, there is still much more to come, according to Revelation 11:15, and John would prophesy in the presence of this list of people who are mentioned 7 times in the book of Revelation (5:9).
The invitation John was given to eat the scroll is God’s invitation to everyone who would participate in the blessing of His Word. In John 6:63, Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Furthermore, He said in the context of His prophetic teaching in Matthew 24, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
We live in a time when the Word of God is being neglected, ignored, minimized, and twisted to suit the lifestyles of those who reject absolute truth. However, we must not forget the inescapable law of sowing and reaping. We are free to choose what we do with God’s Word and how we respond to it now, but ultimately, it will stand in judgment over us.
The day is approaching when there will be no more delay. Just as it was in the days of Noah, there came a time when God closed the door, and the time to enter the ark of safety was past. No one knew, back then, when that door was going to close, even as no one knows when the door of salvation will close in the future. Today, the door is still open. Will you enter and find safety, or will you live on in sin and experience the awful judgments described in this book? I pray you will heed the message of this celestial messenger and seek Christ today!
