Bible Commentaries
Revelation 10

John Brown

Revelation 10

The Interlude

On the wall of a Baltimore estate: "Trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law - Sisters of Mercy."

I. INTRODUCTION

A. The sixth trumpet judgment has just passed and approximately 2 1/2 billionpeople have died on the earth as a result of these fir, smoke, and sulfur breathing demons (talked about last week)!!

1. Joh_1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (NKJV)

a) That's what the Lord is in the process of doing.

(1) Those already in heaven with Him are seen as "sinless" because of the cross.

(2) Those left on the earth have increased their occultic practices and demonic worship!

(3) They have become even more hardened against the Lord, and more set for destruction!

(a) Therefore, they must be judged for their sins!

2. This morning we take a look at an "interlude" or (parenthesis) if you will!

a) If you remember, there was such a "parenthesis" between the 6th and 7th seals.

(1) The Lord felt it necessary to describe His mercy even in the midst of judgment.

b) Here, between the 6th and 7th trumpet judgments we see yet another "interlude".

(1) And I believe, once again, it speaks of the Lord's mercy even though, as a righteous God, He must wipe out the earth and start over!!

(2) It is that "interlude" that we study this today!

II. TEXT

A. Rev_10:1 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. (NKJV)

1. Scripture doesn't say who this mighty angel is.

2. The Lord made Himself visible many times in the passed in what we call "theophanies".

3. As we take a look at His description it is easy to come to the same conclusion: that this may be the Lord Himself!!

a) First He is coming down from heaven.

(1) Joh_6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (NKJV)

(2) Act_1:10-11 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (NKJV)

b) Second, He is clothed with a cloud.

(1) The Lord directed Israel in a cloud by day Exo_13:21

(2) At Sinai He descended in a thick cloud Exo_19:9 ; Exo_19:16

(3) In Exo_40:34 a cloud covered the tent as the Lord filled the tabernacle.

(4) Luk_21:27 "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (NKJV)

c) Third, there is a rainbow on His head.

(1) In chapter 4 the rainbow was "round about the throne"

(2) The rainbow is a symbol of God's covenant with Noah regarding the earth!

(3) Ezekiel saw this same rainbow in a vision of the throne of God.

(a) Eze_1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. (NKJV)

(b) Just as the cloud is symbolic of the coming "storm" of God's judgment,

(c) So, the rainbow is symbolic of hope and promise, and God's mercy even in the midst of a wicked and perverse people!

(i) Remember, God has protected His own!

d) Fourth, His face is like the sun.

(1) Rev_1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (NKJV)

(2) Mat_17:2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. (NKJV)

(3) Mal_4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. (NKJV)

e) And fifth, His feet were like pillars of fire.

(1) Rev_1:15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; (NKJV)

(2) Rev_2:18 " And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ' These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: (NKJV)

(a) Brass, and the furnace also scripturally represent judgment.

(b) Thus from the description alone, we clearly get the picture that the Lord is returning as he went, (in a cloud), to judge the earth and reclaim what is His, all the while keeping safe, those that are His under His wing of protection!!!!!

B. Rev_10:-2-3 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. (NKJV)

1. "He had a 'little' book open in His hand."

a) In English we would translate this Greek word "booklet", a smaller version of a book!

b) Little information is given about the booklet other that it's affect upon John of being "bitter - sweet"

c) We know that it is divine revelation.

(1) That is, something heretofore not revealed.

(2) Perhaps it is the revelation of what is revealed to us by John in chapter 11 verses 1-14 regarding the two witnesses!

(3) Perhaps it is what is uttered by the "seven thunders" of which the angel told John not to reveal yet!!

(4) The truth is, we will not know for sure until we are in heaven!

2. He has one foot one the sea and the other on the land.

a) Please don't make the mistake of thinking that He is standing at the beach with His feet 12 inches apart!

(1) This is representative of claiming the earth and the seas and the fullness thereof.

(2) Which 1Co_10:26 tells us they are His in the first place!

(3) His "span" is much bigger that 12 inches, remember John is viewing this from heaven!!!!

3. He cried with a loud voice like a lion.

a) Rev_1:10 describes His voice as "the sound of many waters."

(1) It would be kind of like standing next to Niagara falls only many times more thunderous!

(2) Remember, 1Th_4:16 tell us that . . .the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (NKJV)

4. "When He cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices."

a) In Psalm 29 the "voice of the Lord" is mentioned 7 times and each introduced a new phase of THE FLOOD!

b) If you will remember, it is His right foot that is on the sea!

(1) The "right" position such as the "right hand of God" usually symbolizes completion and authority!

(2) It would seem that the Lord is going to use water once again as part of His final judgment, but remember the rainbow!

(3) There is still mercy in the midst of judgment!

(4) And as he promised Noah, it will not bring total destruction as it did last time!

C. Rev_10:4 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." (NKJV)

1. The seven thunders are not only participants in the judgment of the earth through water, but as each one commences, he makes some kind of announcement!

a) Maybe it is to the those who dwell on the earth as they (the thunders) proclaim God's righteousness and the reasons for His judgment in this way!

b) Whatever they say, John is not allowed to write them down! He is told to "seal them up", indicating the he is not even to mention them!

(1) So, there is yet another mystery to be revealed in heaven!!!

D. Rev_10:5-7 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. (NKJV)

1. Just before the seventh angel (or 7th trumpet of judgment) is to sound, there will be things revealed about the Lord, His plan, and His kingdom, that has never before been fully understood though spoken of through the prophets!

III. CONCLUSION

A. Rev_10:8-11 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." (NKJV)

1. John is instructed to take the "booklet" from the angel and then instructed to eat it!

2. He did so and it was sweet as honey in his mouth, but it made him sick!!

3. Maybe the last verse in chapter 10 give us a clue as to why!

a) John was given the joy and the task of writing the book of Revelation!

b) Can you imagine being light years ahead of all mankind?

c) Having the responsibility of proclaiming the doom of millions of people, as well as the hope of all of God's children?

d) John immediately became the "pastor of the world"!!

(1) We know from history that his life was never the same.

(2) He could never stop telling everyone he saw about what was coming!

(a) Yet, most wouldn't listen!

(3) He could never stop praying for the world to be saved!

(a) Knowing that billions would perish!

(4) The burden and the privilege he was given was indeed "bittersweet"!!!

4. Do you and I still have a burden for those perishing without Jesus?

5. Are we willing to accept the "bittersweet" pill of having the world hate us, or at least misunderstand us, thought we have the "best news" the world has ever known?

a) We need to pray for the Lord to re-kindle our love for lost and dying souls.

b) We need to pray for strength to let the world laugh at us, because some will listen, and some will be saved!

c) The Lord is still ministering mercy!!!!