The Book of  REVELATION
James J. Barker


Lesson 18
THE MIGHTY ANGEL AND THE LITTLE BOOK

Text: REVELATION 10:1-11


INTRODUCTION


  1. When we began Revelation chapter 8, we saw that the seventh seal contains the seven trumpets.  In previous messages, I quoted W. Graham Scroggie, who said it is "incorrect to speak of the Trumpets as following the Seals. They do not follow, but are the Seventh Seal."
  2. In Revelation chapters 8 and 9 we saw the first six trumpet judgments, terrible disasters that are yet to come upon the world. Chapters 10 and most of chapter 11 are parenthetical, a brief interval between the judgments of the sixth and seventh trumpets.
  3. Like chapter 7, chapter 10 does not advance the narrative, but instead presents other details concerning the tribulation period.
  4. By the way, there is a pattern in the book of Revelation: whether it is the seals, trumpets, or vials, there is always a break between the sixth judgment and the seventh judgment (cf. 6:12-17; 7:1-17; 8:1, 9:13-21; 10:1--11:15; 16:1-17).

 

I. THE APPEARANCE OF THE MIGHTY ANGEL (10:1-3).

  1. There are many references to angels in the book of Revelation. In the opening verses of chapter 10 another angel is introduced, described as “another mighty angel” (10:1).
  2. It seems evident from the context that this angel is not the sixth angel mentioned in 9:13, nor the angel which sounds the seventh trumpet in 11:15.
  3. Some expositors of the book of Revelation believe that the angel mentioned here, as well as the angel of 8:3, is the Lord Jesus Christ. However, this is very unlikely because this angel swears "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..." (10:6).
  4. The fact that the angel does not swear by himself indicates he is not Christ.   Hebrews 6:13 says, "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself."
  5. This "mighty angel" swears by God, which implies that God is greater than the angel.
  6. Therefore, this angel is probably not Christ, but a holy angel to whom has been given great power and authority.
  7. The angel of 10:1 is described as one who “comes down from heaven” and there is no evidence that Christ comes down to earth midway in the tribulation.
  8. There are many instances in the book of Revelation where angels are made the ministers of God for both the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous.
  9. In chapter 12, Michael the archangel is mentioned by name as battling against Satan and the wicked angels, and casting them out of heaven.
  10. Some have concluded that the description given in chapter 10 must be a reference to Michael as the chief of all the holy angels.  However, this cannot be proven, and this mighty angel's name is not given.
  11. Though the angel is presented as one having great majesty and power, there is no clear evidence that his function or his person is more than that of a created angel to whom has been entrusted great authority.
  12. He is declared to be “clothed with a cloud” and has “a rainbow upon his head.”
  13. His face is "as it were the sun" and his feet are compared to pillars of fire (10:1). John sees him with his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth, suggesting a position of power and authority over both land and sea. He has in his hand "a little book" which is opened.
  14. The contents of this little book are not revealed, but they seem to represent the judgment of God.  It will be "bitter" for the ungodly, but "sweet" for those who love the Lord (10:9, 10).
  15. As John beholds this spectacular vision of the angel standing upon the sea and the earth, the angel cries with a loud voice like a lion’s roar. In answer to this cry of the angel, seven thunders are heard (10:3).
  16. The number seven is prominent in the book of Revelation, and here it points to the perfection of God’s intervention in judgment.
  17. When John heard these seven thunders, he was about to write what he had heard, but he was instructed not to do so (10:4).
  18. In Revelation 1:19, the Lord told John, "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."
  19. John was to write the book of Revelation and then pass it on to the church.  However, in this instance John was not permitted to reveal what he heard (10:4).
  20. John Walvoord says, "This illustrates a divine principle that while God has revealed much, there are secrets which God has not seen fit to reveal to man at this time" (The Revelation of Jesus Christ).

 

II. THERE SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER (10:5-7)

  1. There's an old song, "The Great Judgment Morning,"
  2. I dreamed that the great judgment morning
    Had dawned, and the trumpet had blown;
    I dreamed that the nations had gathered
    To judgment before the white throne;
    From the throne came a bright, shining angel,
    And he stood on the land and the sea,
    And he swore with his hand raised to Heaven,
    That time was no longer to be
    .

            And, oh, what a weeping and wailing,
          As the lost were told of their fate;
          They cried for the rocks and the mountains,
          They prayed, but their prayer was too late.
(Bertram H. Shadduck)

  1. Another Gospel song, and more well-known is "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder."
  2. When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
    And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
    When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
    And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there
    .  (James M. Black)
  3. There is coming a day when "time shall be no more."
  4. It is a very solemn oath (10:6).  Our custom of raising our hand and taking an oath in court, and swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth apparently goes back to this prophecy in Revelation 10.
  5. The angel swore by God, the One who created the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the things that therein are.
  6. Some Bible teachers believe this angel could be Christ, because in Hebrews 6:13, the Bible says, "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself."
  7. Therefore, some Bible teachers think this angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is swearing by the triune God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- that there will be no longer any delay.
  8. Attention is called to the eternal God, "that liveth for ever and ever" (10:6).
  9. Attention is called to the One "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" (10:6).
  10. There is a great emphasis in the book of Revelation on God as our Creator. As our Creator, God is also the sovereign Ruler who will declare that there shall be no more time, (meaning, no more delay).
  11. John Walvoord says, "This expression has sometimes been misunderstood to mean that time will cease. The expression here, however, does not refer to time as a succession of chronological events; rather it means that time has run out, that is, that there will be no further delay. The end is now to be consummated. Even in eternity, there will be a time relationship in that one event will follow another" (The Revelation of Jesus Christ).
  12. Oscar Cullmann has written, "The well-known passage in Rev. 10:6, where it is said that there will be no more (time) chronos, is not to be understood as if the era of timelessness were meant; rather...'there will be no more delay.'"
  13. And this how all of the modern translations, including the New King James Version, translate it -- "there shall be no further delay."
  14. Revelation 10:7 says that the sounding of the seventh trumpet ("the voice of the seventh angel") will bring about the completion of the mystery of God as declared to His servants the prophets.
  15. The sounding of the seventh trumpet takes place in Revelation 11:15.
  16. The expression "the mystery of God" (10:7) seems to refer to truth concerning God Himself which has not been fully revealed.
  17. "The mystery of God” (10:7) refers to truths that have not been fully disclosed.  These truths would include the consummation of the age, and the establishment of the kingdom.
  18. Some Bible teachers think the mystery of God refers to the question that has puzzled men for thousands of years -- why God has allowed Satan to vex mankind for so long.

 

III. THE LITTLE BOOK IS EATEN (10:8-11).

  1. In Revelation 10:8, John hears another voice "from heaven," and it is apparently the same voice he heard in back in 4:1.
  2. John is commanded by this voice to take the book from the mighty angel, which "standeth upon the sea and upon the earth” (10:8).
  3. Three times in Revelation 10 we are told that this mighty angel stands upon the sea and upon the earth (10:2, 5, 8).
  4. Normally we refer to the "earth and the sea," and that is normally what we find in the book of Revelation (cf. 5:13; 7:3; 12:12; 14:7).
  5. However, in all three instances in Revelation 10, the sea is mentioned before the earth.
  6. The voice from heaven told John to "go and take the little book" (10:8), and in obedience to the command, John went to the angel and requested that he be given the little book.
  7. The angel then told John, “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).
  8. Something very similar happened to the prophets Jeremiah (Jer. 15:16) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 2:9--3:4, 14).
  9. The little book seems to represent the Word of God, and Revelation 10:9 and 10 symbolizes John appropriating the Word of God.
  10. To God's people, the Word of God is "sweet."  Psalm 19:10 says, "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”
  11. However, the Word of God is "bitter" to the unsaved.   The book of Revelation reveals the divine judgments which will be poured out on the earth as God deals in wrath with the wicked world.
  12. The same God who created heaven also prepared the lake of fire for the devil and his angels.
  13. John Walvoord said, "Though John as a child of God will never know the bitterness of being lost or the afflictions of eternal punishment, he knows what it is to be like his Master, despised and rejected of men" (The Revelation of Jesus Christ).
  14. The angel then told John, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (10:11).  This does not mean John would leave the isle of Patmos and personally prophesy "before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings," but that he would do it through the book of Revelation.

 

CONCLUSION:

  1. "That there should be time no longer" (Rev. 10:6).  In other words, time is running out.
  2. In Matthew 24:3, our Lord's disciples asked Him, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
  3. In response to this question, our Lord gave several signs of His coming:
  • "Take heed that no man deceive you" (Matt. 24:4).  "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matt. 24:11).   "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
  • "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars" (Matt. 24:6).   "Most people expect a conflict any day now between Iran and Israel.  I read this article the other day: Although Israel can expect a barrage of missiles from various fronts if it attacks Iran, the response might be less catastrophic than some predict, with Middle East turmoil distracting old foes, analysts say.  There is also a gathering view in Israel, expressed with growing insistence by senior officials, that the resulting conflict would be a price worth paying for stymieing Iran's nuclear program.  An increasingly tough-talking Israel is threatening to take military action, with or without U.S. support, if the Iranians continue to defy pressure to curb their contested projects" (Analysis: Eyeing Iran, Israel focuses on the day after, Reuters March 9, 2012).
  • In the parallel passage in Luke 21:9, our Lord said, "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by."
  • "Ye shall hear of wars and commotions..."  -- terrorism, Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, etc.
  • "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (Matthew 24:7).
  • The book of Daniel and the book of Revelation predict a one-world government and a one-world religion, both controlled by the antichrist.  We are getting very close to seeing these prophecies fulfilled.
  • Our Lord said in Luke 17:28 that when He returns it will be "as it was in the days of Lot."  The days of Lot were days of rampant homosexuality.   It was so indescribably wicked that God said, "The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly" (Genesis 13:13).  In Genesis 18:20, the LORD said, "their sin is very grievous."  Genesis 19:24 says, "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven."
  • Four thousand years have passed since God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.   The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is referred to all throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The word "sodomite" (homosexual) comes from Sodom.
  • And yet today we are seeing widespread acceptance and approval of homosexuality -- all over the USA and all over the world. The president has said he will attempt repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.  The governor of New York and the mayor of NYC both worked hard to promote so-called "gay marriage."
  1. Time is running out.  Our Lord said in John 9:4, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."
  2. Two weeks ago I preached from Revelation 9 and we spent considerable time studying the demon-locusts, which are described in great detail.
  3. Just yesterday I read this interesting article by Pastor Mark Hitchcock, a preacher who has written 21 books on Bible prophecy.

"District 9” topped the movie charts this week, giving hope to sci-fi enthusiasts that this genre is making a comeback. Here’s a short synopsis of the movie: 

 

The film is set in Johannesburg, South Africa where for twenty years a large alien spacecraft has been hovering, dormant, over the city. During the course of these two decades, the government has kept the ship’s growing population of nearly two million alien inhabitants, known as prawns, quarantined in a gated section of the city known as “District 9.” This district is basically a slum where a multitude of disturbing and illegal activities take place against the alien refugees.

 

As you could expect, from there the movie takes some interesting twists and turns. But what caught my attention was the portrayal of the aliens as locust-like or shrimp-like creatures. As I already noted, they are even called “prawns.” If you remember the movie “Independence Day,” the aliens in that movie were like locusts. Other alien invasion movies since that time have picked-up this description, so that now it’s almost standard sci-fi fare for the aliens to look like big, scary insects, especially locusts. What’s the big deal about the locust imagery? In Revelation 9:1-11, the Bible describes a future invasion of planet earth by beings from another sphere. They are graphically portrayed.

 

These invading beings during the coming tribulation are clearly demons as they swarm out into the earth from the abyss. In this case, the truth really is stranger than fiction. This bizarre event described in Revelation 9 is well-presented in one of the books in the Left Behind series titled Apollyon. Could it be that all these movies and their portrayal of aliens is setting the world up for an actual invasion of locust-like creatures in the future that are really demons from the abyss? Most people today are totally unaware of what’s coming on this earth in the future. An alien invasion is coming, but not the kind they are expecting. Make sure you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, so you will be delivered from this coming time of horror.



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