Welcome to The MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my 155th episode. In this episode I want to return to our study of the book of Revelation. We are in chapter 10. This chapter presents yet another mysterious scene which is difficult to interpret, but it’s something like an introduction or transition into the latter part of the prophecies in Revelation. In this vision we see a glorious angel who is holding an open book in his hand. When this angel spoke John heard what he described as seven thunders echoing the angel’s voice. Whatever John heard he must have considered it important enough to write down – but a voice from heaven – presumably God’s voice – stopped him and told him the things which he heard must remain secret. And then we see the angel lift his hand to heaven and take an oath before God that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be finished. Then the voice from heaven commands John to approach the angel, take the book, and eat it. The chapter closes with John being charged to prophesy before many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Like I said, this chapter is quite mysterious but we will do the best we can. Let’s begin with verses 1-7:
Rev 10:1 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:
Rev 10:2 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,
Rev 10:3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Rev 10:4 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.
Rev 10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Rev 10:6 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:
Rev 10:7 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.
We can surmise this vision came to John between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets. Depending on how you choose to interpret this passage you might also say the angel John saw was the Lord Jesus Christ. He is described as a mighty angel clothed with a cloud and a rainbow upon His head. The cloud may have been to obscure the glory of God which is too potent for mortal eyes to behold. The clouds also indicate the mysterious nature of God and how we only know what He has chosen to reveal to us. The rainbow is undoubtedly a homage to His everlasting covenant made with humanity after the Flood. There are times when we question the goodness of God, but His covenant stands to remind us that despite His mysterious ways there is no doubt the designs of God are just and faithful. The face of the angel in John’s vision is described to look like the sun itself because it is so majestically bright. The feet of the angel are likened to pillars of fire. Fire purifies and pillars make up the foundation of sturdy construction. This description suggests God’s grace and providence are both pure and steady.
John saw the angel, who might have been Christ, straddling the earth and the sea. The angel had one foot in the sea and one foot on the earth. This is meant to show God’s total and complete dominion over all things. As followers of Christ we should do our best to advance the kingdom of God on earth. But we should always remember that God is in control and He will bring good things even out of our own failures. The angel held a little book in His hand and the book was laid open. We might think this book was the same writing as the scroll which Christ unsealed in the previous chapters. Not only did He unseal it but He also fulfilled the plan written therein. There are none but God who can advance time and bring about His divine plan for humanity and for all of creation. Another reason I think the angel John saw was Jesus is because when the angel spoke His voice roared like that of a lion. Jesus Christ is the lion of Judah and though His grace is as gentle as a lamb, He is also the final Judge of wickedness and He will show Himself as the conquering King.
It’s not clear what the seven thunders were, but we know they echoed the voice of the angel and the seven thunders gave John some kind of secret insight. John had the compunction to write down what he heard but a voice prohibited him from publishing it. For whatever reason John was instructed to conceal what he had heard from the seven thunders. The passage seems to indicate that John wished to preserve and publish everything he saw but that the timing for this had not yet come. Next John saw the angel lift his hand to heaven and swear by Him that liveth forever which is a direct reference to God. Throughout Scripture it’s not unusual to see God taking an oath by His own name. Who else could He possibly swear by? There is no name higher than Jesus Christ.
The oath sworn by the angel was that there should be time no longer. This could mean once the seventh angel sounded there would be no more delay in the execution of God’s plan. Once the seventh angel sounded the mystery of God would be finished. Or it could mean that once God’s mystery is complete then time itself will cease to exist. All time really is is the measure of change in mutable things. If tomorrow everything in existence ceased from changing then it would be impossible to discern time. I think one of the reasons God exists outside of time is that He Himself is immutable and unchanging. It’s impossible to discern time by referencing the nature of God because the nature of God never changes – and if something never changes then there’s no way to measure the passage of time. That’s what heaven and the redeemed creation will be like. All things will be fixed in their glorious perfected condition and time itself will be swallowed up by eternity. Let’s read verses 8-11:
Rev 10:8 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.
Rev 10:9 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.
Rev 10:10 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.
Rev 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
In this passage John was instructed to go and receive the little book which was held in the hand of the mighty angel. The angel Himself didn’t command John to do this, rather he was commanded by a voice from heaven – presumably the voice of God the Father. This was the same voice which forbade John from writing the revelation given by the seven thunders. What comes next is both strange and fascinating. When Johns takes the book from the hand of the angel the angel tells John to eat the book. I think the idea here is that John needed to digest the contents of the revelation and integrate them with his very being. This is in fact what we are supposed to do with Scripture ourselves. We should read the Bible in such a way that we allow its contents to shape our very identity. The Bible describes Jesus as the Word made flesh. We embark on this same process of embodying Scripture when we seek to understand it and live it out. John was required to consume the information and understand it before publishing it to the world.
When John consumed the book it started out tasting sweet as honey. Such is the case when we receive a revelation from God. Christians love when they experience God and when they make impactful connections with His word. But in John’s case the sweetness of this revelation would soon turn bitter. He was given a glimpse into the future and he witnessed the persecution and pain which must come to pass. When people ask us if we’d like to know our future I think our gut reaction is excitement and affirmation. But would you really want to know? Would you really want to know the exact day each of your loved ones was going to die? Would you really want to know how much time you have left with them? Imagine the burden of knowing a war is inevitable and being fully incapable of stopping it. After the initial euphoria of a revelation from God wore off, John tasted bitterness as he looked upon the desolation and the wickedness. Ezekiel struggled in the same way with his prophecy. At first he tasted the sweetness of inside knowledge into God’s plan, but then the bitterness rushed in as he saw the fate of his society.
Watching John consume the revelation teaches us a valuable lesson when it comes to being effective ministers as well. Each time we write a sermon or tell our friends about God, we should be expecting the message to impact ourselves as much as it impacts our listeners. John allowed the contents of the book to become part of his body and in the same way we must do our best to act out the messages we teach from Scripture. Preaching a good sermon is dependent on good content, but it’s also dependent on the messenger himself being effective. The more you grow and mature in Christ, the better you will become at sharing your faith with others and teaching them to become better individuals. It’s also important that we teach the full counsel of God – even the parts which seem to us bitter and unpleasant. It’s often the bitter and unpleasant messages which are most profitable to the listeners. Anytime you’re teaching other people it’s crucially important that you never hold back neither the difficult truths nor the well-deserved praise. That idea is of great utility for your intimate relationships as well. You should not be afraid to tackle difficult conflicts with your partner, but equally important is acknowledging the things they do which make you happy and praising them for it.
John wasn’t given this revelation for his own enjoyment or his personal profit. He was charged with communicating it to the entire world. You should feel the same way about your relationship with Christ. Your relationship with Jesus isn’t meant to be an exclusive luxury enjoyed solely by yourself. It should be actively transforming your own life and the lives of the those closest to you. There should be a great yearning in your heart to share the gospel with those who struggle through life deprived of it. Your relationship with Jesus should bring you such meaning and hope that you want every person you meet to be blessed with the same. John was tasked with sharing his revelation to all from the least to the greatest. A revelation from the mind of God is important for the entire world. It’s just as important for the homeless as it is for the wealthiest of kings. John’s revelation would be read and recorded in many different languages.
John’s revelation would be given to everyone because everyone shares the responsibility of attending to it. It is balm for our souls to meditate on the words of Scripture and searching for meaning in the mysterious books like Revelation is a fruitful spiritual enterprise. This is work which requires tremendous humility because in order to do it we must admit that we don’t know everything. It’s okay to let your imagination run wild when contemplating the passages in Revelation – just so long as your mind remains open to new information as the Spirit of God gives it to you. Books like Revelation may be difficult to understand, but you need not feel awash in a sea of chaos either. There’s at least one thing about John’s revelation with which you can be certain: that all of these prophecies will have their accomplishment in the proper time. You can rest in the knowledge that once these prophecies are fulfilled, the truth and clarity of them will become apparent. The day is coming when you will witness the infinite power, all-encompassing omniscience, and steadfast faithfulness of your loving Savior. In that day you – and all of us who are called to Him – will stand in adoration of almighty God.
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