Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Revelation 1:3 NIV
Welcome, welcome, I’m so glad you’re here. This is our tenth week of studying Revelation.
We’re still in the AMP this week. You can find it here. But go ahead and stay here as I’ll leave it in here.
Before we begin, let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, this kind of feels like a break in action, but it’s not, just different. So I ask You, please lead me through this and show me what You want us to see. Amen.
Please Read Revelation 10:1-3
The Angel and the Little Book
1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow (halo) over his head; and his face was like the sun, and his feet (legs) were like columns of fire; 2 and he had a little book (scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land; 3 and he shouted with a loud voice, like the roaring of a lion [compelling attention and inspiring awe]; and when he had shouted out, the seven peals of thunder spoke with their own voices [uttering their message in distinct words].
When I was a kid, my Dad told me that thunder was an answer to the lightning. Or maybe that when you see lightning, you will hear thunder because that’s the noise that it makes. And you can tell how far a storm is from you by counting between the lightning and the thunder. I don’t remember him ever saying thunder has a voice. But it does. No, we don’t have ears that can hear it, but it speaks none-the-less.
And I have a memory from one day years ago when I was taking my daughter to an appointment and it was starting to storm and the thunder was so loud it reverberated on the roof of the car as I set her in it and something told me, “I’ve got you, you’re going to be fine.” But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you the sound of that thunder was so startling I probably jumped. Like it was nearer than ever that day. A startling sound.
Please Read Revelation 10:4
4 And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them down.”
Mystery. Some mystery still remains. As disappointing as that ‘do not write’ command is, it’s probably for our good that we don’t know what the thunder spoke. Mostly because everything He does is for our good. And to withhold that must be too.
Please Read Revelation 10:5-7
5 Then the angel whom I had seen standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand [to swear an oath] to heaven, 6 and swore [an oath] by [the name of] 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, 7 but [a]when it is time for the [b]trumpet call of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God [that is, His hidden purpose and plan] is finished, as He announced the gospel to His servants the prophets.
Okay, verse seven is curious so here it is in the NIV to see if that clears anything up for you.
“There will be no more delay! 7 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.”
Please Read Revelation 10:8-11
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking to me, and saying, “Go, take the book (scroll) which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went up to the angel and told 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 as sweet as honey.” 10 So I took the little book from the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey; but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was [c]bitter. 11 Then they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 10:7 Lit in the days of.
- Revelation 10:7 Lit voice.
- Revelation 10:10 I.e. John was encouraged by the Word of God but was saddened as he realized the approaching judgment on unbelievers.
“Go, take the book. Take it and eat it. You must prophesy again.”
Thank You, Lord, for John, who knew how much he was loved and who gave us these two books to believe and to see what is to come. Thank You for this interlude of sorts where we get to see some of what John heard and also what he saw. Thank You, Lord, for shared testimony, shared faith. I want to bring You glory. In Your Holy Name. Amen.