Discovering Revelation Part 26
Discover Revelation Part 26
Today we have another intermission in the Book of Revelation!
• This interlude between the 6th and 7th Trumpet!
• This is the second intermission in the Book!
• In between 6th and 7th Seals from earlier we saw two groups of people during this Tribulation period being Saved!
• Between the 6th and 7th Trumpets
• This Chapter 10 will introduce a mighty Angel!
• In Chapter 11 verses 1-11 will continue this intermission introducing the two witnesses even though they are not really identified!
• Alright, let’s get started!
Revelation 10:1-11
The Angel and the Little Book
1 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;
• Here we see John having a new vision!
• Who do we think this Angel is? Many say it’s Jesus! Face like sun, feet like pillars of fire!
• Sounds a little like Chapter 1 in Revelation!
• Let’s see if I can produce some evidence that will make you think differently if you do think it’s Jesus! Amen?
• Christ never appears in Revelation as an Angel! True? Amen
• However it is True that in the Old Testament the Pre-incarnate Christ was seen as the Angel of the Lord!
• But, after He was born taking on humanity then dying on the Cross and was resurrected He received a glorified body!
• We now see Him in the place of great power and glory sitting at Gods right hand on the Throne!
• We never see Him as an Angel ever again!
• When He was here in His humanity He was a man!
• He is remember revealed in the Book of Revelation as Glorified Christ to John!
• He is exalted to the top position!
• This Book of Revelation is known as the unveiling of Jesus Christ!
• Listen, new glories of His person and His power and performance are unfolding in each Chapter in Revelation!
• He is now the One judging the Christ-rejecting earth!
“I saw another strong angel”
• Now listen the another here means just that another Angel! Of the same kind, Angel!
• Remember the other strong Angel back in Chapter 5:2?
• There was not an argument, it wasn’t Christ!
• Just because of the way this Angel is clothed here one would appear to think it’s Christ!
• This is most certainly another strong Angel bearing the credentials of his exalted position!
• He comes down out of heaven from the presence of Christ!
• You know the One who is in the midst of the Throne talking to John!
• This Angel was dressed in a cloud!
• This Angel makes an announcement that Jesus is coming soon!
• Remember angels announced His first coming and angels will announce His second coming to earth!
• The rainbow is Gods Covenant to man that God will not destroy man again by flood!
“and his face was like the sun”
• What a badge of identification! This is the signature of the glorified Christ Rev 1:16!
• It does not follow that this one must be the Son of God!
• Think about it when Moses came down from the mountain after being with God His face shine like the sun! Amen?
• This Angel has just come down out of Heaven from being in the presence of God!
Exodus 34:29
It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.
Luke 24:4
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;
• So I would say that this Angel is not Christ either!
• But he is what the scripture says an Angel a great and mighty Angel! Amen?
“and his feet like pillars of fire;”
• This is still part of the Angels uniform!
• This Angel has come to make a solemn announcement of the coming Judgment”
• These are a few credentials and connect him to the person of Christ!
• As His special ambassador!
• The Lord Jesus is definitely running everything right now!
• He is the Judge of all the earth!
2 and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; 3 and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.
• So let’s talk about this little book!
• Most scholars are convinced that this little book is non other than then seven sealed scroll that we learned of back in Revelation 5:1! So I will give some reasons for this conclusion! Amen?
• This is simply the only book that has been before us, and it is not identified in any other way than it is called “a little book”! So this could be the same book!
• If it’s the same “little book” it was originally in the hands of God the Father in Heaven Rev 5:1!
• It’s also transferred first to the one with the nail pierced hands Jesus. He was the only One who could open it!
• The breaking of the seven seals opened the book; and the seven trumpets, six of which have already been blown, are still part of what is in the book! After Jesus removes the seals He the transfers them to His Angel who then gives it finally to John to eat!
• This is the book of the title deed of the earth, an it contains the judgments of the Great Tribulation. The display of the Lord Jesus power.
• This book is now open and the judgments are on display here!
• This book is the Angels authority for claiming both the land and the sea! He puts one foot on the sea and the other on the land claiming then both for God!
Instructions for Israel’s land management!
Leviticus 25:23
‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.
• Question: How much land do you think you own?
• Maybe you even have the title to it!
• Think about all the years it was handed down to where you were able to get it!
• Somebody in your past that very land probably stole it from the Seminole Indians! Amen?
• You paid good money for it you really think it is yours! Right?
• You know what though? Your little Title doesn’t go back far enough!
• Listen, brothers and sisters! Your property really belongs to God!
• No matter who you are! You haven’t paid God for it! Right?
Psalms 24:1-4
1 The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.
• God claims the Land and God claims the sea also!
Psalms 8:6-8 Talking of the Son of Man!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
• God says He alone owns the seas, and the land!
• He has given these to us to be great stewards of all the God has given us!
• We live in such a little world that God created setting the earth in His vast universe!
• Listen the Kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus Christ through His mighty judgment!
• As Creator and Redeemer the world belongs to Him!
• We have a little book here because the time is very short! 7 years is a short time! Amen?
• There is not much more time left here!
Romans 9:28
FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.”
• the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.” In Vs. 3
Psalms 29:3
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters.
Job 37:5
“God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
• Israel always spoke of thunder as being the voice of God!
• Let John mean what He says!
• These 7 Thunders here are the Voice of God!
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
• These seven thunders here are the voice of the God. Or the Lord Jesus now in heaven, confirming what this Angel said because He is going to come to power on this earth!
4 When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.”
• John hears these seven peels of thunder he is about to write them down!
• But God forbid John to write these words down!
• So why is God concealing something in His Book called Revelation?
• This is the only place in the Book where something is sealed!
Revelation 22:10
And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
• Yet this message of the Seven Thunders He sealed! Interesting!
• So if this Angel were Christ John probably would have fallen down and worshipped Him.
• So this was just an Angel! No bowing!
• So we do not know what the Thunders spoke of!
• The Lord Jesus Christ said to John, “Seal them up. don’t write them down”
• They remain a secret to this very day!
• Listen although Jesus is being revealed in this book, there are a great many things that God is not telling us here.
5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and swore by 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,
• This Angel makes it clear that he could not be Christ, since he takes an oath from the eternal Creator!
• Now if this were Christ He would swear by Himself!
Hebrews 6:13
For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
• There is none greater than God!
• The Angel swore by another, not by himself, because he is not God!
• Therefore He is not the Lord Jesus Christ!
• Jesus is eternal God!
John 1:1-2
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
John 8:58
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
John 1:3
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Colossians 1:16
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
• The Angel takes an oath in the name of Christ’s as ambassador and he claims it all for Christ!
• No more delay!
• Listen all the saints on earth wondering how much longer will this trouble be on earth.
• This is a glad announcement that it won’t be much longer! A very brief time until Christ returns!
• He says, Don’t worry! He that endures to the end will be Saved!
• This is also an answer to the prayers of the Marty’s in Revelation 6:10! Also, a fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer “Thy Kingdom come Matthew 6:10!
• But none of us know the hour He comes, all we know that as each day passes it’s another day closer than before! Keep looking up!
7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
• Everything takes place when the seventh Angel blows the Trumpet!
• It will bring a conclusion to the Great Tribulation!
• It is at this time that the mystery of God is finally made clear!
• We don’t understand all the mysteries of the Lord and we are not necessarily meant to understand them. Only in Gods good time!
• Some folks believe they have all the answers but they really don’t!
• When we all get into His presence then we will know!
• I can tell you that I don’t have all the answers because I don’t!
• But I can tell you of the One who does! Jesus
• We must put our hands in His mighty hand and just walk with Him trusting in Him with all that we are!
• It will be just fine!
• We will be exposed to the light and it will be ok!
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”
• This order comes from Jesus! In heaven directing everything!
• In charge He is the judge! His name above every name!
• John here comes back to earth obviously!
9 So I went to the angel, telling 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 sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
• Now we see John becoming a participant of this great drama!
• He is required to eat this book very weird! Right?
• He eats at the instructions of the Angel!
• The results are bitter sweet!
• Eating the Book means He is ingesting the Word of God with faith!
Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts.
• Here Jeremiah likens the appropriation of the Word to eating it! Hm!
• Many places in scripture that reference reading the Word like eating it! Eat it, chews it, digest it, becom part of your make up of who you are!
Psalms 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
• Part of eating this Word into His mouth was very sweet to eat! It was a delight for John to eat this so so good!
• However, once he did it became bitter in his stomach!
• It was sweet because the future is sweet!
• But it became bitter in his stomach because of all the judgment many will endure!
• It brought deep sorrow to his soul when he digested it in his stomach!
• It really hurt his heart!
• You know it is sweet to read the Book of Revelation people love to eat it up! Amen?
• But when we find out that judgement is coming to the Christ rejecting world! Sorrow will fill our hearts! Amen?
• You know we cannot rejoice in this fact! Amen?
There’s a real application here!
• Many of us study this prophecy with excitement!
• But when they find that it is applicable to their life and that it makes demands on them personally , they lose interest real quick!
• Then it becomes a bitter thing!
• Many just don’t want to hear it thinking they won’t be accountable to it if they don’t hear it! What a mistake that is! This is real it’s not fantasy folks!
• You know it does scare me! You know it should frighten all of us!
• But it should also be sweet in your mouth as well!
• There are those who love this book of the Bible over all others!
• Prophecy is very exciting Amen! But let me give you a warning!
• To be a student of Prophecy and live a dirty life will lead to a life of contradiction!
• What happens is the Word of God is not making its way in our hearts to change us!
• The Word of God must make its way in our hearts and lives of the folks who study it! Amen?
• It’s funny how people will get deeply involved in prophecy but not in Christian living!
• We can teach the book of revelation and bring in several folks interested in it but teach an Epistle to Romans and empty a church!
• Sometimes there are a great many saints more interested in the lifestyle of the anti-Christ than are in Christ!
• Folks we need to check our hearts! Amen?
11 And they *said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
• We must it’s crucial to get the Word of God out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in that His house would be made full! Amen!
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
• Listen, the study of prophecy will have a definite impact upon your life! It will either bring you closer to Jesus, or it will take you farther from Him! Right?
• Let’s Pray!