Revelation 10

Six trumpets have been blown. Then John sees another mighty angel, not with a trumpet but with a scroll. Chapter 10 and 11 are an interlude, we take a pause and explain some things that are going on in the midst of the trumpets being blown. Just like we saw a few chapters ago…

Notice how the angle looks and what he is doing…

- He looks heavenly, shining as Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration. Shining as Jesus is in chapter 1. Could it signify the type of angel or even his job.

- What is he doing? He is proclaiming. He is coming down.. So is john now on the Earth rather than looking down at it? See the in and out, the 30,000ft view vs the intimate detailed view?

- He is also standing on the sea and the land. A way of stating this prominence of both land and sea, there is no specific place to hear his message but it is applicable to all.

Notice the scroll…

It is open… not shut up.

It is small… as compared to the large scroll Jesus had in his hands

The angle called out…

IN a loud voice like lions, and thunder. Seven thunders. A heavenly, perfect, and complete thunder. We read psalm 29 to begin with, this is a picture of it. The thunder shows the holy importance of what the angel is saying.

Job 37:4–5 ESV

4 After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. 5 God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

This is not mere noise, it is words for John is restricted from writing down what he heard...

This takes us to the idea that not everyone is given the same gift of knowledge. Daniel has multiple occurences of this He is told after hearing what God said to seal it up, don’t tell anyone… John clearly heard what was said, thought it life giving and was about to write but was stopped. It wasn’t for everyone to know. Paul has an experience like this mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12… Paul says

2 Corinthians 12:3–4 ESV

3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.

However in verse 5-7 we see that there is an oath sworn by this angel, and the promise is that in the days of the seventh trumpet, all of the “mystery of God” would be fulfilled. What john heard, but was not able to tell is a mystery. However, it will be given completion, just as he announced in the days of his prophets. It is sure.

Then the voice spoke again…

This time we are able to hear what he said. He told John to take the scroll from the angel.

So he does.

Then he was told to eat the scroll!…. Let me remind you that the best way to interpret scripture is with scripture. Revelation proves that point numerous times as we have seen. But we see it here again. What does this mean? Well lets look at Ezekiel 2…

Ezekiel 2:1–3:3 ESV

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. 8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. 1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

The key here is verse 3… God sent Ezekiel to a rebellious people to speak life to them. A message that is both bitter and sweet. It is bitter because of the wrath of God. God will bring judgment. He will end evil. And it won’t be pretty for any of those who are not found to be in Christ.

But it is also sweet because it is good new. The mute speak, the deaf hear, the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, and the dead are raised. The gospel of Christ is good news. This bitter and sweet message needs to be shared with many peoples and nations and languages, and kings… It is a message of warning, it is a message of goodness. A call both to repentance and for those in the faith to hold on to their confession in Christ alone. Th