Study of End Times week 25

Praise and Prayer

The Interlude of a Mighty Angel and Small Scroll part 2 July 6

Last week we began looking at chapter 10 of Revelation and seen the Interlude between sixth and seventh trumpets.

So far in chapter 10 ten we have seen this Mighty angel that has a small scroll in his hand. This mighty angel is not just any ordinary angel, but a special angel, with a special job, he is wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, his face shines like the sun and legs are like pillars of fires.

The angel is standing with one foot in the sea, and one foot on the land which is a stance of victory, in preparation of taking the earth back over.

He has the scroll open, the angel cries out with a loud voice like a lion, then seven thunders are heard, but John is told to seal up and do not write down what he heard.

Tonight we will pick up were we left off, we stopped after point 3 last week, tonight we will start with No more delays in verses 5 and 6.

I. No More Delay. Vs. 5-6

Revelation 10:5–6 CSB

5 Then the angel that I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 He swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will no longer be a delay,

The angel that John had seen standing with one foot in the sea and on on the land raises his right hand to heaven, just as a person would do in a court proceeding before taking an oath

The angel raises his right hand and swore by God that there will no longer be a delay.

See there is one more trumpet to come; then the mystery of God could be revealed.

With the rapid pace at which description of judgment have proceeded thus far. It may seem surprising that God’s messenger would say there has been a delay!

Yet what has been delayed to this point is the full and final outpouring of God’s wrath.

Through the judgment of the seven seals and the first six trumpets, God has been restraining his final judgment to allow continued opportunity for repentance.

Peter explained the the delay is not slowness but patience: 2 Peter 3:9

2 Peter 3:9 CSB

9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

This initiates the last plagues of the Day of the Lord , indicating that the time the disciples anticipated has come.

This will be the time when the prayers of the saints will be answered, the prayers mentioned in Revelation 6:9-10

II. A Rush to End. V. 7

Revelation 10:7 CSB

7 but in the days when the seventh angel will blow his trumpet, then the mystery of God will be completed, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

Verse seven begins - but - this signifies a change from the delay referenced in verse 6 and the announcement of the angel blowing the seventh trumpet.

We will see the seventh trumpet be blown in chapter 11:15, it will mark a shift to the end of the tribulation, when the seven bowls of God’s wrath will be poured out on the earth. Which we will see the seven bowls in chapter 16.

At that point, the narrative truly will begin rushing forward toward the return of Jesus to set up his throne on earth.

It might seem puzzling that John would announce a rush to the second coming when there are still twelve chapters remaining, however, some of those chapters will rehash from a different perspective events already described.

This far, God has revealed events to come. Beginning in chapter 11, He will focus on personalities involved in those events, these include the two witnesses, the Antichrist, and the false prophet.

III. Take and Eat. VS. 8-10

Revelation 10:8–10 CSB

8 Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 Then I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I ate it, my stomach became bitter.

John has been told by God, do not write none of this down, the angel takes this oath if you will and states that the delay is over, everything is going to rush forward now, toward to time of Jesus second coming.

Now God speaks to John again, and tells him to go and get the scroll from the angel, John has been in a trance or a vision in heaven since Revelation 4:2

Revelation 4:2 CSB

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it.

He was taken in the spirit into heaven, and has been writing from heaven since that point, but now this angel with one foot in the sea and one foot on the land, John says, I heard the voice from heaven says to me, go take the scroll, therefore, John is back on earth in his physical body.

John goes to the angel and asks for the scroll, the angel tells him to take and eat it. Now if you asked me for my Bible and I said, here take and eat it, you would surely look at me like I was crazy.

Because if we think about it, in those days, a Bible would have been a scroll or in that format if you will.

The angel says take and eat it, and it will be bitter in your stomach but sweet as honey in your mouth.

Now I can do the sweet as honey in the mouth, but you tell me it is going to be bitter in my stomach, I take that as it is going to leave a bad after taste.

Now why in the world do I want to eat something that is going to purposefully leave a bad after taste, or heart burn or indigestion with me.

But John went got the scroll, took it and ate it, and just like the angel said it was sweet like honey in the mouth, but when it got to his stomach it was bitter.

A very similar situation happened in the Old Testament to the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:1-3

Ezekiel 3:1–3 CSB

1 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. 3 “Son of man,” he said to me, “feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

The hard word of prophecy is pleasant to receive because it is, after all, the very Word of God. Processing the prophecy internally, however, is a different matter that can prove difficult and even unpleasant.

John’s physical reaction demonstrate what every believer’s proper response to God’s judgment should be - sweet anticipation of God’s glory and our victory, and at the same time, the bitterness of seeing God’s wrath poured out on those who reject His Son.

As John truly digest what the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments hold in store for the sinner, he becomes nauseated.

But still God’s final victory and vindication are sweet realities to the believer.

IV. You must Prophecy. V. 11

Revelation 10:11 CSB

11 And they said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

Equipped with this harsh word from God, John is instructed by the angel and God - the voice from heaven to prophecy to many people, nations, languages, and kings.

Even when though message is difficult, John must continue to proclaim it.

John had taken in the Word of God, he had eaten the scroll and digested it, this was a picture of a literal eating of something, but John was to take in the words of the scroll, what was going to take place and he was to prophecy about it, that is he was to warn people about it.

We are to take in the Word of God, eat it spiritually, write it on our hearts and on our minds, digest it, that means learn it, understand it to the best of our ability, in order that we may go forth and proclaim it.

We as Christians are all to go our and share the message of God’s Word, and everyone thinks it is just that God is love, but it is also that God is just, and if you reject his love, if you reject His Son and the sacrifice that His son has made for you then you will be sent to the lake of fire, Hell’s damnation for eternity.

See we have to proclaim God’s love, but we also must proclaim God’s wrath also, we have to share the gospel message that Jesus died on the cross for all sin, but that rejecting the free gift of salvation, leads to God’s wrath which is eternity in Hell’s torment.

People need to know the truth, the deserve to know the truth.

It is our job as Christians to share the truth.