Commentary on Revelation

Chapter 10

The interlude before the seventh trumpet

John eats the scroll

Rev. 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring; when he called out, the seven thunders sounded.

This mighty angel is a very high ranking representative of God - possibly Jesus himself. Many feel that "the angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament was really Jesus preincarnate - a so called "Christophany" or preincarnate appearance of Christ. The Angel of the Lord told Hagar in Gen. 16:10, "I will so greatly multiply your descendents that they cannot be numbered for multitude." Later in verse 13 Hagar remarked, "Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?" Who appeared to Moses in the burning bush? The Angel of the Lord (Ex. 3:2) and God (Ex. 3:4). See also Judges 6:11-14, Judges 13:21-22. The ministry of this Angel in the Old Testament is similar to that of Christ's:

  1. The Angel of the Lord reveals God's word in Exodus 3.

  2. He calls leaders in Judges 13.

  3. He is a deliverer in Exodus 14 and Judges 6.

  4. He is a protector in Psalm 34.

  5. He is an intercessor in Zechariah 1.

  6. He is an advocate in Zechariah 3.

  7. He confirms God's covenant in Genesis 22.

  8. He is a comforter in Genesis 16. (Compare Matthew 11:28.)

Thus, although Jesus is not an angel, this angel may be used here to depict him. The description of this angel is similar to descriptions of Jesus which we have seen elsewhere in this book (1:12-16). He stands on both sea and land; that is, he has universal authority and great power. The seven thunders may represent the seven bowls containing God's wrath which will later be poured out on Rome. They would then signify a complete judgment. What is the little scroll or little book? This is the commission to John. It represents both the message John is to relate and his responsibility to relate that message. By eating the book later in verse 9, John is seen as accepting that responsibility. Ezekiel is also pictured as eating a book in Ezekiel 2:8 and Ezekiel 3:3.

4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on sea and land lifted up his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives for ever 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, that there should be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God, as he announced to his servants the prophets, should be fulfilled.

The pronouncement of judgment by the seven thunders was not to be revealed at this time. John is told not to write down what they said. God chose not to reveal everything about the coming judgment against Rome at this time. The details concealed here may have been revealed later in the book but we cannot know for sure. Deut. 29:29 reminds us that there are some things which God keeps to himself and does not reveal. The angel lifts his right hand. This, as now, was done when taking an oath. The raised hand signifies that what is being done or said is taking place in full view of Heaven. It emphasizes the solemn and momentous nature of what is being said. What does he swear? That there would be no more delay. In the seventh trumpet, the complete judgment of God against Rome would be fulfilled. John heard Jesus swear that there would be no more delay. What right do we have to insert a delay of 2000 years? The seventh seal contained the seven trumpets. Similarly, the seventh trumpet will contain seven bowls. As we discussed earlier, this mystery is something which was formerly not understood but which has now been revealed; that is, the conflict of the Church with Rome, the terrors ahead for the Church, and the Church's ultimate victory over Rome. This mystery would be fulfilled without delay. It, like everything in the book, was near and would shortly come to pass (1:1 and 1:3).

8 Then the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll which is 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 told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, "Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth." 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."

John is not given the book but is told to take it. This emphasizes his commitment to undertake the responsibility of recording and presenting God's message. As in Ezekiel, John eats the book to signify his acceptance of this responsibility. He makes the message a part of himself. It was bitter; that is, it contained bad news in that the Church would suffer great persecutions. But, it was also sweet; that is, it had a happy ending in that the Church would ultimately triumph. Compare also Psalm 19:10 and 119:103 - The law of the Lord is sweeter than honey. Jeremiah was also appointed to be a prophet to the nations. See Jer. 1:5,10. John will have much to say about the nations and kingdoms of the world in chapters 17 and 18.