About This Chapter: Revelation chapter ten presents a scene that occurs between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets. John sees a mighty angel descending from heaven, holding a small scroll. The angel stands with one foot on the sea and one on the land and calls out with a loud voice. John hears a response but is instructed not to record part of what was spoken. The angel then declares that there will be no more delay, and John is told to take and eat the scroll, which is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach.
Revelation 10:1 — A Mighty Angel Appears
Revelation 10:2-4 — The Sealed Message
Revelation 10:5–7 — The Angel’s Declaration
Revelation 10:10–11 — John and the Little Scroll
Revelation 10:1 — A Mighty Angel Appears
“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars.
When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them” (Revelation 10:1-4).
The preceding chapters of the Book of Revelation detailed the trumpet calls of five angelic beings. Each of the first four trumpets heralded a different natural disaster, while the fifth unleashed a terrifying swarm of demonic creatures. The sixth trumpet sounded in Revelation 9:13, followed by the release of four murderous angels with an armed force of 200 million members that decimated one-third of humanity.
While we might ordinarily expect to see the seventh and final trumpet sound here in Revelation chapter ten, that will not take place until we reach Revelation 11:15. In the interim, the Book of Revelation presents us with a brief interlude that extends from the opening verse of this chapter through the first half of the following chapter. This portion of Scripture opens with a reference to “…another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars” (NIV).
So what observations can we make regarding this angelic being? Well, our text from Revelation 10:1-4 offers several characteristics…
- He is a being of great strength.
- He is robed in a cloud.
- There is a rainbow above his head.
- His face was like the sun.
- His legs were like fiery pillars.
These characteristics seem to bear a resemblance to Jesus as we see Him in the book of Revelation. Consider the following parallels…
- Jesus is identified as “the first and last” in Revelation 1:17, a testament to His superior strength.
- Revelation 1:7 says that “He is coming with clouds.”
- We encountered a rainbow above the throne of God in Revelation 4:3.
- Revelation 1:16 says that “His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.“
- His feet were like “bronze glowing in a furnace…” according to Revelation 1:15.
We’ll revisit these items with an eye towards a personal application later in our study of this chapter.
Revelation 10:2-4 — The Sealed Message
“The angel was holding a small scroll open in his hand…” (Revelation 10:2 NCV).
A contemporary equivalent of this “small scroll” would be a booklet, or similar type of diminutive written work. Although we can speculate on the contents of this scroll, one thing is certain: it is a message that comes from God. We should also notice how this angel holds this scroll: it is “…open in his hand.” So even though we are not alerted to the contents of this book, the symbolic imagery of an open scroll tells us that God is open to sharing His Word with us.
The fact that this angel “…planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land” (NIV) is also more significant than it may appear. While many terrible things are yet to come in the book of Revelation, this marks the beginning of the end of the enemy’s reign upon the world. Much like soldier who recaptures a land area that was taken by a hostile force, this angel has “planted his foot” and reclaimed the sea and the land of this planet for God.
“Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down’” (Revelation 10:3-4).
This seems unusual; why would our author reference this sequence of events if he was forbidden to write about what he heard? We can address this question in two ways. First, this passage reminds us that God may not reveal every aspect of His plan for us. In other words, it is God’s prerogative to withhold certain information from us if He chooses to do so.
Next, God may elect to reveal certain things to some individuals, but withhold such information from others as He sees fit. John, the author of Revelation, serves as a case in point. John knew exactly what these seven thunders said, for he was prepared to record it. But in this instance, God chose to reveal that information to John exclusively and not to anyone else. This tells us that there are certain things that God may choose to keep to Himself, or share with others on a case-by-case basis.
Finally, in a general sense, John’s experience should remind us of the need to exercise discretion in sharing the information we receive. That does not obligate us to remain silent in matters that are illegal, immoral, or unethical, but it should prompt us to be discriminating when it comes to disclosing what we learn. For example, this should inspire us to think carefully before we publicize the faults, idiosyncrasies, and shortcomings of others, especially those within the family of God. As Jesus Himself reminded us, “Treat others as you want them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12 CEV).
Revelation 10:5–7 — The Angel’s Declaration
“Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.’” (Revelation 10:5-7 NIV).
These verses allow us to return to a discussion we began earlier in our look at Revelation chapter ten. There are several points of similarity between the angelic being depicted here in verse five and some of the descriptions of Jesus given to us earlier in the Book of Revelation. So who is the being mentioned here within this passage?
We find an important clue to his identity in verse six: “And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever…’” With this in mind, consider how Jesus introduced Himself to our author in Revelation chapter one: “I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever…” (Revelation 1:18 NCV). If Jesus is the One who is alive forever and ever, then he would have no need to swear by Him who lives forever and ever.
This tells us that this being is who he is said to be: a mighty angel. But this leaves one question unanswered: if this being is an angel, then why does he bear a striking resemblance to Jesus? One potential answer lies in the fact that we often tend to adopt the characteristics and mannerisms of our associates. This mighty angel may thus bear a resemblance to Jesus because he has spent time in Jesus’ presence.
The Old Testament book of Exodus offers a comparable example. For instance, Exodus 34:29-35 tells us that Moses’ face grew bright with a radiant glow whenever he returned from spending time in God’s presence. In a similar manner, the more time we spend in Jesus’ presence, the greater our potential to adopt His characteristic qualities as well.
Finally, the New Testament epistle of 1 John offers an encouraging truth in this regard: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
“Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven” (Revelation 10:5 NIV).
While the identity of this angel is uncertain, we can make some educated guesses. For instance, this angel could be Michael, the archangel. Since “arche” means “first” in the original language of the New Testament, Michael is among the highest ranking (if not the highest-ranking), angelic beings. Michael will also enter battle against Satan himself later in Revelation chapter twelve.
A second possibility is the angel Gabriel. By his own admission, Gabriel is an angel who stands in the presence of God. However, we should recognize that the vast majority of the angelic beings who appear in the Scriptures remain unnamed and unidentifiable. Much like this anonymous multitude, the same is true of the angel we encounter here in Revelation 10:5.
In any event, this angel issued a decisive proclamation in verse six: “There will be no more delay!” (NIV). As mentioned previously, this represents the beginning of the end for the current world order. From this point forward, God’s purposes will accelerate toward their ultimate culmination.
“Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, ‘Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.’ So I went to the angel and said to him, ‘Give me the little book.’ And he said to me, ‘Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.’
Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.’ (Revelation 10:8-11).
Much like the symbolic imagery of an open book tells us that God is open to sharing His message with us, the fact that John consumes this book carries significance as well. Just as John ate the little book that was given to him, we should also internalize God’s Word as well.
For instance, a person who refuses to eat will eventually grow physically weak. In the same manner, a person who doesn’t prayerfully read the Scriptures is sure to grow spiritually weak. Therefore, this passage reminds us that we would do well to ensure that we internalize a portion of God’s Word each day.
Revelation 10:10–11 — John and the Little Scroll
“Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter” (Revelation 10:10).
A decision to internalize God’s Word may produce some bitter experiences, just as our author discovered in the passage quoted above. The same may be true of anyone who seeks to read the Biblical Scriptures and act upon them. For instance, consider the following message from Jesus to His followers and the crowds who gathered to hear his teachings…
“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it’” (Mark 8:34-35 NLT).
This portion of Scripture begins with an open invitation from Jesus to those who wish to follow Him. Jesus conveyed that invitation as follows: “Whoever wants to be my disciple…” (NIV). This tells us that the path to discipleship is open to anyone without qualification. Nevertheless, that decision carries a price. The New King James translation of this passage calculates that price for us: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
“Denying yourself” and “taking up your cross” are two demanding, but essential characteristics of genuine discipleship. First, “denying yourself” is an act that demands humility. It requires us to abandon the single-minded pursuit of our personal interests and subordinate them to Christ. It also means that we can no longer allow “what’s best for me?” to guide our life philosophy. Instead, we must be willing to substitute Jesus’ priorities for our priorities as we navigate the circumstances of life.
The phrase “taking up your cross” points to the rejection, intolerance, opposition, and/or persecution that all true followers of Christ experience to greater or lesser degrees. As Jesus once remarked in speaking of end-times events, “… everyone will hate you because you are mine. But all who endure to the end without renouncing me shall be saved” (Mark 13:13 TLB).
That parallels our author’s bitter experience here in Revelation 10:9. However, Jesus also left us with a sweeter aspect to consider as well: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).