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Introduction to the 10^th Chapter:

This chapter is an interruption between the sixth trumpet and the conclusion of it that would include the two witnesses who are killed for preaching the word of God. This is a similar interruption such as the seventh chapter being between the sixth seal and the seventh seal.

In this chapter John will see an angel, a mighty angel such as the one Daniel saw in the 12^th chapter of Daniel. Daniel said that at that time, the time of the end, Michael would stand up for God’s people Israel. It makes me wonder if this is Michael, but I don’t know for sure.

The angel will tell him that time will end and that the mystery of God would be finished at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

John will also be told that he will still preach the Gospel to many nations before his life was through.

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:
In this verse John sees another mighty angel come down from heaven. Which tells us that this vision to show a work of God upon the earth. A mighty angel, similar to the one in Daniel the 12^th chapter.
1: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

The angel is clothed with a cloud that is the emblem of God’s coming judgment.

The angel has a rainbow upon his head and many believe that it is the same rainbow that is emerald in color in Rev. 4: 3. But I believe that he had a real multi-colored rainbow on his head. It was upon his head, not over it that means that it was in his mind to remember the covenant that God had made with Noah concerning the flood. The covenant was that God would not destroy the earth with a flood. This also reminds us why this angel is here. This is the time of the end and he will explain by the announcement that he makes concerning the seventh seal.

Jesus has sent this angel, because he reflects and bears the insignia described concerning Christ Himself. His face was as the sun and his feet like pillars of fire. The pillar of fire in the wilderness with Moses was to be a light to lead the children of Israel. This is why he is he here. It is to guide God’s people through the rest of the tribulation.

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,
He has a little book open in his hand. A book that John will digest before this chapter is over.

The angel places puts one foot on the sea and the other foot on the earth. This is a statement. That God has sent him to show his authority over both. God is sovereign and the world is about to find out that both land and sea belong to him.

3: And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
The angel cries out with a loud voice and it reminds John of the roar of a Lion. This is symbolic that this angel has come from Christ who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This angel is not sent in humility but with authority. At the time the angel spoke seven thunders uttered their voices. Which means that it thundered seven times, yet John was able to tell what they were saying.

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.
This is the way God sounds to man when he speaks if we do not get the lightning with it. Thunder is God speaking when we do not get the revelation of it. Lightning is the revelation of it. It is described as thunder in this verse because God wanted it to remain a mystery to us. John heard and understood but God said do not write it down, but seal it up, keep it a mystery. Although God tells John not to seal up the book of Revelation in the twenty-second chapter, this God wanted to remain a secret until the time of the end.

There was a man that Paul once spoke of that had heard things spoken in heaven that was unlawful for him to repeat. So there are some things that God will only reveal in his time. This is one of those things. I somehow wonder if truly understanding the arrangement of the seven seals, the seven trumpets and seven vials of wrath and their application in scripture doesn’t have something to do with these seven thunders. It could be that someone understands right now what they were.

5: And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
It was customary to raise your hand to God when taking an oath and this angel is preparing to do this. We see another angel in Daniel 12: 7 lift up both hands to heaven and sware by him that liveth forever and ever.

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:
As he takes an oath by him that lives forever and ever, the one who created and everything in it. He said that time was coming to an end.

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.
He goes on to explain that in the days of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound that the mystery of God would be finished. The mystery of God is thought by some to have been in the little book and it could have well been, perhaps the time of the mystery. Paul told us this mystery in 1^st Corinthians 15:
51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The angel said as declared to his servants and prophets, men such as Paul.

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.
Then a voice from heaven spoke to John, it was the same voice that had spoken to him and told him to seal up the sayings of the seven thunders. He told John to take the book from the hand of the mighty angel that stood upon the land and the sea.

9: 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.
John asked the angel to give him the book and the angel said for him to take it. Take it and eat it up. He was warned that it would be bitter in his stomach after he had eaten but that it would taste sweet as honey as he ate it. This is similar to the same thing that God told Ezekiel to do concerning the roll.

Often times God speaks to us and when he does it is easy and exciting to hear, but when it comes to applying it to our lives it often becomes a bitter thing to do. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and it sounds wonderful but when it comes to applying our actions to that wonderful command it can become a very prayerful situation and often hard to accomplish.

Whether this book is the book of Revelation, part of it, all of it, the Bible itself or some other mystery it is important to realize that it is God’s word nonetheless.

10: 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.
John took the book, ate it and every thing that the angel had told him come to pass.

11: And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
The angel then assured him that even though he was a castaway on the island of Patmos that God still had a great and mighty work ahead of him. He would preach the Gospel to many more people.

God Bless You
Tommie Spurgeon

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