From Revelation chapter 6 to 19 we have described for us a future period of time that is known as the Tribulation Period, with the second half more properly known as Great Tribulation. It is a period that lasts for approximately seven years. This time of tribulation is introduced by the breaking of seven seals, the sounding of seven trumpets, and the pouring out of seven bowls of wrath.

An interesting feature in each of these series of seven is that between the 6^th and 7^th there is an interlude or parenthesis. Revelation chapter seven gives us the interlude between the 6^th and 7^th seal. In chapter 16 we have the brief interlude between the 6^th and 7^th bowl of wrath. As we look at Revelation 10 we see the interlude between the 6^th and 7^th trumpet.

Verse 1 begins with the words, “And I saw.” As it does throughout the book of Revelation, these words mark the beginning of a new vision. The new vision that John see is an angel with a little book. Let’s study this angel with the little book that John saw by first noticing:

1. WHAT IS REFLECTED IN THE ANGEL

In verse 1 John sees “another mighty angel come down from heaven.” There are some who say that this angel is the Lord Jesus. I am not of that persuasion because the word “another” is the Greek word allos that speaks of “another of the same kind.” If this angel was the Lord Jesus, the Greek word heteros would be used that means “another of a different kind.”

Being of the same kind would indicate that it was another one of the strong angels that appear in the book. In Revelation 5:2 we saw “a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” In Revelation 18:21 we read, “And a mighty (strong) angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea.” It would appear that the strong angel of our chapter is one like unto the other strong angels.

There is no question that this is a very special angel because of the description that John gives. This strong angel reflects many of the attributes and characteristics of the One Who sits upon the throne. This angel was a heavenly mirror of the One it served and worshipped.

First, you see:

A) The Appearance of the Angel

John says in verse 1 that the angel was “clothed with a cloud.” John saw this strong angel arrayed with a cloud, marking it a powerful and majestic angel. Being clothed with a cloud indicates that this angel is a bearer of judgment. Clouds in the Bible that are associated with the coming of Christ are often symbolic of judgment. That this angel comes “down from heaven” indicates that the judgment it brings is from God.

John also saw that “a rainbow was upon his head.” The Greek word translated “rainbow” is iris which was the Greek goddess who personified the rainbow. The word was used to describe a bright halo surrounding an object. The rainbow in the Bible speaks of God’s covenant. We saw a rainbow round about the throne of God in Revelation 4:3. This angel wears a rainbow upon his head symbolizing that God keeps His word, and in this case, His promise of judgment.

God has declared that there will come a day when He will judge this world. We read in Psalm 9:8, “And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” As well, we read in Psalm 96:13, “Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” The prophet Joel prophesied of the time when God will judge the nations of the earth: “Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about” (Joel 3:12).

In the last several chapters we have been seeing this time of judgment and God’s judgment continues with the arrival of this strong angel. Just as God promised, He will keep His word, even the promise to judge the nations of the earth.

John also saw that “his face was as it were the sun.” Like the blazing noonday sun, the brilliant, radiant glory of this angels face lit up the earth. Like Moses, whose face shone with the glory of God after he left the presence of God, this angel comes from God with the glow of God’s Shekinah glory upon his face.

The final feature of the angel John noted was that “his feet as pillars of fire.” This feature symbolized how firm the angel was in carrying out its mission. This angel had been sent by God on a heavenly mission and that mission was its priority.

Secondly, John describes:

B) The Authority of the Angel

In verse 2 John speaks of how the angel “had in his hand a little book open.” We have seen this book earlier in our studies. You will recall the scene in Revelation 5 when the Lord Jesus stepped forward as the one worthy to open the book. In 5:7 we read, “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”

It is the same book that is now in the hand of the angel that descends from heaven. If you remember, this book is the title deed to the earth. It would appear that the Lord had given this title deed to the angel to carry with him on his mission as if to say the time is now at hand for the Lord to take back what is rightfully His. This claim has already been acknowledged in heaven and is now being asserted on earth.  

John sees the angel “set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth.” Having set one foot upon the sea and the other upon the dry land demonstrates that the Lord is about to take possession of the earth. The planting of the feet upon certain ground indicates taking possession. God had said to Joshua in Joshua 1:3, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” That the angel sets one foot on the sea and one foot on the land indicates a possession of the whole earth.

With these symbols of heaven given authority the angel is a messenger that God is preparing to exert His authority and sovereignty over the entire world. Yes, one day the Lord will take back that which belongs to Him. Isaiah declared in Isaiah 54:5, “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.”

One day the whole earth, will be as the Psalmist declared, “filled with His glory” (Psa. 72:19). The Psalmist saw a time when every square inch of the earth will belong to Him. From latitude to longitude, from pole to pole, from sea to sea, to all the ends of the earth, it will all belong to Him.

Not only do we see what is reflected in the angel, but secondly:

2. WHAT IS REVEALED BY THE ANGEL

John not only sees the angel, but he also hears him. The angel comes with a message from God about the events that are about to happen. The revelation or message of the angel was an announcement “that there should be time no longer” (Vs. 6b) and that “the mystery of God should be finished” (Vs. 7b).

I will say more about what was revealed in a moment, but first notice with me how the revelation was:

A) Powerfully Communicated

In verse 3 John describes how the angel “cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth.” This is no whispering of a message from God. This is a message that fills the air as the sound of a roaring lion fills the jungle. As John Phillips says, “The lion’s roar is calculated to chill the stoutest heart, give pause to its most daunted foe, and petrify its prey.” It is a voice of authority. Its tone demands attention. Its volume calls for all present to give ear for something extremely important is about to be announced.

Not only do we see that the revelation of the angel was powerfully communicated, but it was also:

B) Partially Concealed

We read in verse 3 that “when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.” These seven thunders are separate from the voice of the angel and are very possibly the voice of God Himself verifying the revelation about to be given by the angel. The number seven speaks of perfection, completeness and finality. Thunder is often associated with judgment. It is not that John heard seven different and distinct voices, but the voice of God in all His fullness announcing the judgment that is to follow.

In Psalm 29:3-9 we are given a descriptive of the voice of God which is a seven-fold description of His voice: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. ^[4] The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. ^[5] The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. ^[6] He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. ^[7] The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. ^[8] The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. ^[9] The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.” In all probability, it was this seven-fold voice of the Lord that John heard.

As soon as John heard the voice of God, he picked up his pen and paper to record what he had heard. But we read in verse 4, “And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” At the very beginning John had been given the instruction to write or record the things he saw and heard. But now, he is told not to write what he had heard. What God said is not to be disclosed.

A very similar prohibition is seen in the Book of Daniel. We read in Daniel 8:26, “And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.” Daniel was likewise forbidden to record the events he saw in the vision of the evening and morning.

We read of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:4, “How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” Paul was not allowed to even speak of the things that he had heard in heaven.

Whatever the seven thunders said were concealed. In this scene of revelation we see that what was revealed was partially concealed. Thirdly, we see how this revelation was:

C) Personally Confirmed

Once again John’s attention turns to the angel that came from heaven. We read in verses 5-6, “And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, [6] And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.”

The scene is very similar to a scene in our courts. When someone is called to the stand they are asked to raise their right hand and promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This angel lifts his right hand toward heaven (the little book is in his left hand) and swears by the God who lives forever and ever, the One who created the heaven and earth and all that therein is, that what he is about to say is the absolute truth. The word “sware” simply means “to take an oath.” Swearing on the very nature and person of God, the angel personally confirmed the reality and reliability of the message he has been sent to deliver.

What is that revelation? What is the message he is sent to deliver? It is the message that “there should be time no longer” (Vs. 6b). The angel was not saying that the end of time has come, but that there will be no further delays in God’s judgments. God is about to throw things in high gear, mash the gas petal to the floor and move full speed ahead.

In a previous study we heard the martyred saints in 6:10 crying “with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” They were asking God why He was delaying His judgment. Of course we know the reason for God’s delay. Peter said in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God’s delays always have the lost in mind and provide another and extended opportunities for them to be saved. But now the angel announces that there will be no more delays. The longsuffering of God is now over and His mercy extended to the lost is no longer. There is no holding back or delaying any longer.

The angel continues his revelation in verse 7: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” The angel announces that when the seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet “the mystery of God should be finished.” A mystery in the Bible is the revelation of previously hidden truths. God had revealed much about the future to his prophets, but there was much about they did not understand. Now, all is about to become very clear. God is about to bring to pass what He promised and will do so without any more delays.

We live in what we call the age of grace. God deals with us in mercy and grace. How thankful I am that God is longsuffering, gracious and merciful. But there will come a day when as in the days of Noah, His patience will be exhausted. The angel’s message was that that time had now arrived.

Finally, notice with me not only what was reflected in and revealed by the angel, but also:

3. WHAT IS RECEIVED FROM THE ANGEL

The voice John had earlier heard telling him not to write what he had heard now speaks to John again giving him certain instruction about what he is to do with the little book that is in the left hand of the angel. Up to this point, John has only been an observer. Now he is become involved in what is happening.

We read in verse 8, “And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.” John is given the instructions to take the little book from the angel. We read of John’s compliance in verse 9, “And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book.”

John was not only instructed to take the book from the angel, but also to eat the book: “And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up.” Now understand, John was not to actually start chewing on the book and swallowing it as you would a hamburger. Eating the book symbolized the absorbing and assimilating of the book. To eat the book is to make what the book says a part of you. Do you realize that what you ate yesterday has through your metabolism become a part of who you. If you don’t think so, look around. There are a lot of us that are wearing what we have eaten in the past. That Chinese or Mexican food we ate has been assimilated into who we are. The angel telling John to eat the book was the same as telling him to make what the book says very personal in his life.

The angel told him that when he ate the book he would have two reactions to the book. We read in verse 9, “And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.” In verse 10 we read, “And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.”

I want us to look at different reactions John had to the little book when he ate it. First, the angel described the:

A) The Sweetness of the Book

The book would be in John’s mouth “sweet as honey.” When John ate the book he said “it was in my mouth sweet as honey.” The sweetness of the book describes the great joy and pleasure it brought to the heart of John. Remember this book is the title deed to the earth. The sweetness John found as he ate the book is the joy it brought to his heart to know that the Lord was going to rule and reign upon the earth.

For the Christian; knowing that Christ, Who has so often been mocked, blasphemed, rejected and denied His rightful place, will one day be exalted and magnified as King of kings and Lord of lords, is indeed sweet to the taste.

In 1929 and 1930, Robert Eisler published in German two volumes entitled "Jesus the King Who Did Not Reign." He argued that Jesus was a revolutionary whose campaign against Rome failed. I say, “Mr. Eisler, He will reign one day!

A name that has been popular around the world is Mother Teresa. She once said, “By blood and origin, I am all Albanian. My citizenship is Indian. I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the whole world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to Jesus.”

There will come a day when the whole earth and every nation on the face of the earth will acknowledge that He is indeed Lord and will bow down and worship Him as the Lord of all creation and nations. The whole earth will belong entirely to Him. The book John took revealed that the hour was soon to come when this would become a reality. It was indeed sweet as honey in his mouth.

However, you not only see the sweetness of the book but also:

B) The Sourness of the Book

The angel told John that when he ate the book, it would not only be sweet to his mouth, but would also be bitter in his stomach. John said in verse 10, “and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.” The word “bitter” speaks of that which is very sour. It tasted good going down but it wasn’t long before turned bitter and sour in his stomach.

As John assimilated what the little book described, it brought great joy to his heart as he thought of what the hour would mean for the Lord Jesus. But then, as he thought about what it would mean for all those left on the earth it left him with a sick feeling. As John read of God’s longsuffering and patience coming to an end and the terrible things that were yet to come, it became very troubling to him. Certain part of the book brought gladness, but other parts brought sadness.

As we think about the future there is mixed feelings. There is that part of us that rejoices to know that it would be a glorious hour for both us and the Lord Jesus. But then the thought of what it will mean for those that are left behind turns our joy into mourning.

Suddenly overwhelmed with the thoughts of those who are left and lost, the angel says to John in verse 11, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” John is once again reminded of his commission. He is to record what he sees and hears so that mankind of all classes and races throughout all the ages would know what is ahead. The angel says, “John, you see what will happen. Tell the story. Let people know so they will turn to Christ.”

Oh blessed thought that Christ will reign. O terrible thought that many will be the objects of His unbridled wrath. Like John, we must tell others and warn them to flee from the wrath to come.