THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 10 – The Angel & The Little Scroll – Episode 12

 

THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 10 – The Angel & The Little Scroll

Episode 12.

 (These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, “SO WHAT?”)

 I said from the outset of this series of episodes on The Book of The Revelation that it is not my intention to go into any great detail of the symbolisms, the historicity or cultural, political, social, economic backgrounds or traditions. There are ample commentaries for such things, and I am providing links to many of those matters.

Chapter ten speaks to the mystery of God and my intention is to address this mystery and to make this Book of The Revelation, understandable; to point out and to lay out God’s full Plan, from Genesis to The Revelation, with an explanation of His purpose and His methods.

The Purpose of God’s Eternal Plan, His Mystery, is “Perfection”.  He is maturing and perfecting His people into His image, ultimately to live in Perfect harmony with Him and with one another, in a New and Perfect heaven and earth.

And, “Because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14

 

Each and every chapter, verse and word in the Bible, when viewed within this context of  God’s Eternal Plan of Perfection, begins to make perfect sense.

Secondly, as God’s Plan and Purpose unfold over the millennia we can see the purpose of the coming Day of The Lord and the End of the Age as found in Daniel 9 verse 24 through 27. Here, The scriptures give an overview or a panorama of the timing of the events leading to the Last Days.

With this in mind, let’s continue to the text of The Book of The Revelation, chapter 10:

The Angel and the Little Book

Revelation 10:1, Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; and his face was like the sun, and his feet (and legs) were like columns of fire; verse 2, and he had a little book, (a scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land; verse 3, and he shouted with a loud voice, like the roaring of a lion [compelling attention and inspiring awe]; and when he had shouted out, the seven peals of thunder spoke with their own voices [uttering their message in distinct words]. Verse 4. And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them down.” Verse 5. Then the angel whom I had seen standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand [to swear an oath] to heaven, verse 6, and swore [an oath] by [the name of] 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 will be delay no longer, verse 7, but when it is time for the trumpet-call of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God [that is, His hidden purpose and plan] is finished, as He announced the gospel to His servants the prophets.

(Commentary Break: The preceding verses are discussed and debated as to their meaning of their imagery in scores of commentaries. I will leave that to you. (See this link to the Bible Hub commentary, as one source).

I do, however, want to draw our attention to, and emphasize, the last few words in verse six and all of verse seven: “there will be delay no longer; but when it is time for the trumpet-call of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished”.

Let me repeat that: then the mystery of God is finished, [that is, His hidden purpose and plan], as He announced the gospel to His servants the prophets. Do you hear that? “As He announced the gospel to His servants, the prophets.”

First, He is saying “the end has come”. God had forbidden the plagues from killing of people, in our previous chapter 9, only allowing them to torment and torture, thereby increasing the pressure on the wicked to repent. Then, in verse 20, God announces that the end has come. It is at this point, Revelation 9 verses 14 and 15, He said to “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates (which is a great army of two hundred million soldiers). So the four angels, who had been prepared for the [appointed] hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind”. The end is now at hand. The final judgments are at hand. (End commentary break).

Verse 8. Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking to me, and saying, “Go, take the book, (the scroll), which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” Verse 9. So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” Verse 10. So I took the little book from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey; but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was bitter. Verse 11. Then they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

This chapter ends with the command for John to ”prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” We will see and read this continuation of revelation of prophecy, as John, with his “stomach bitter, but (the words in his mouth) as sweet as honey”.

Please, let’s not get lost in the wonders and marvels of God’s Revealing. Let’s use these prophecies to get prepared and stay ready for the return of Jesus and the coming Day of the Lord. Let’s stay focused and be found doing what Jesus has commanded us: To go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Jesus, to believe in Him, and obey His words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that He has commanded.

NEXT:  THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 11 –The Two Witnesses – Episode 13.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS: The Book of The Revelation – Chapter 9 – The 5^th & 6th Trumpets – Episode 11.

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