Then I Saw Another Mighty Angel Coming Down from Heaven. He Was Robed in a Cloud, With
REVELATION
Chapter 10
10:1And 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;
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.
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:
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 (Rev. 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 (Rev. 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.
God Painted Rainbow With Only Left
Land
Mother: Look at the beautiful rainbow that God painted for us this morning.
Daughter: And just think, mommy, he did it all with his left hand!
Mother: What do you mean, sweetheart? Can’t God use both hands?
Daughter: Of course not, Mommy, Jesus is sitting on his right hand.
10:2and he had in his hand a little book which was open. And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;
He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
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,
10:2 We see two scrolls in Revelation. The first contains a revelation of judgments against evil (Rev. 5:1ff). The contents of the second little scroll are not indicated, but it also may contain a revelation of judgment.
Supreme Court’s 1,600 “No”s
After a three-month summer recess, on October 3, 1994, the Supreme Court of the United States opened its 1994-95 term. According to the New York Times News Service, the court’s legal business for that first day could be summed up with one word: “No.”
The court announced it had refused to hear more than 1,600 cases. The names and docket numbers of the rejected appeals covered sixty-eight typewritten pages. For those cases, that was the last court of appeal, the final word.
There’s something terribly final about judgment. The Supreme Court says no, and that’s it. No appeals. No arguments. The books are sealed, and the decision is final.
10:3and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.
and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
What Is A Decibel?
A decibel is a measure of the relative loudness or intensity of sound. A 20 decibel sound is 10 times louder than a 10 decibel sound; 30 decibels is 100 times louder, etc. One decibel is the smallest difference between sounds detectable by the human ear.
Decibel and Equivalent
- 10 Light whisper
- 20 Quiet conversation
- 30 Normal conversation
- 40 Light traffic
- 50 Typewriter, Loud conversation
- 60 Noisy office
- 70 Normal traffic, Quiet train
- 80 Rock music, Subway
- 90 Heavy traffic, Thunder
- 110 In Front of Bandstands for Teenagers
- 120 Saturn 5 Moon Rocket at Cape Kennedy
10:4And 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."
And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."
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.
10:4 Throughout history people have wanted to know what would happen in the future, and God reveals some of it in this book. But John was stopped from revealing certain parts of his vision. An angel also told the prophet Daniel that some visions he saw were not to be revealed yet to everyone (Daniel 12:9), and Jesus told his disciples that the time of the end is known by no one but God (Mark 13:32-33). God has revealed all we need to know to live for him now. In our desire to be ready for the end, we must not place more emphasis on speculation about the last days than on living for God while we wait.
10:5And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven,
Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
10:6and 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 shall be delay no longer,
And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!
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:
10:7but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."
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.
10:7 When God’s plan for human history is completely revealed, all prophecy will be fulfilled. The end of the age will have arrived (see Rev. 11:15 and Ephes. 1:9-10).
10:8And the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."
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.
10:9And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it, and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."
So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
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.
10:9-10 The prophet Ezekiel had a vision in which he was told to eat a scroll filled with judgments against the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 3:1ff). 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.
10:10And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
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.
William Milligan
We have good reasons to suppose that the little book John mentions contained indications of judgment about to descend on a church that had practically disowned her divine Master. When we look at the judgment of the world as the vindication of righteousness and the beginning of a divine and righteous order, the thought imparts nothing but joy. But to think that the bride of Christ shall be visited with judgment and be compelled to admit that the judgment is deserved, to think of the selfishness which has prevailed where love ought to reign, of worldliness where there ought to have been heavenliness of mind: these are the things that make the Christian’s reflections bitter. They are his burden, his sorrow, and his cross. The world may disappoint him, but from it he expected little. When the church disappoints him, the foundations are overturned, and the honey of life becomes gall and wormwood.
10:11And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."
Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Open It
01.About what beloved hobbies or special interests of yours might someone remark, “He/she can’t get enough of that!”
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02.On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being ghastly and 10 being great), how good are you at keeping secrets?
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03.What is something for which you have waited a long time?
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Explore It
04.After the first six trumpets of judgment, what did John see? (10:1)
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05.What did the mighty angel of John’s vision look like? (10:1)
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06.What did the mighty angel have in his possession? (10:2)
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07.What did the mighty angel do? (10:2-3)
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08.What did John try to do about what he heard? (10:4)
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09.What command did John receive from heaven? (10:4)
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10.What did the mighty angel do after John sealed up what the seven thunders said? (10:5-6)
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11.What did the angel swear? (10:6)
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12.How did the angel describe God in his oath? (10:6)
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13.What announcement did the angel make? (10:6-7)
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14.What did the voice from heaven tell John to do? (10:8)
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15.What did the angel tell John to do with the little scroll? (10:9)
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16.What unusual act was John asked to perform? (10:9)
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17.What warning did the angel give John? (10:9)
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18.What happened when John ate the scroll? (10:10)
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19.What is the last thing John was told at this time? (10:11)
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Get It
20.What does it mean that the angel’s voice sounded like thunder?
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21.Why is it significant that God sent His angel to announce that there would be no more delay in God’s intervention?
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22.Why is it significant that the angel called God “him who lives for ever and ever”?
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23.What do you think is symbolized by John’s eating the scroll of God’s words and finding it sweet in his mouth and sour in his stomach?
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24.In what situations has God’s Word ever tasted sweet at first hearing but then sour as you “digested” it?
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25.What is the “mystery of God” that will be accomplished?
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26.When will the “mystery of God” be accomplished?
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27.What confidence or secret do you need to keep that you may be tempted to share?
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Apply It
28.What step can you take this week to help you internalize what you have heard from God’s Word?
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29.How can you practice patience and trust today in an area of your life where God’s working seems to have been delayed?
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30.Who in your life has God called you to speak His truth to this week?______
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