(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 10
1 Then I saw 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.
2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
John sees that, despite the terrible consequences of their denial of God’s message of redeeming grace through Jesus, the Roman authorities and Jewish leaders only become more resolute in their persecution of the saints. Just as ancient Pharaoh had, they denied the reality of God and refused to let His people go in peace. And the eternal principle has continued to be repeated throughout history.
Nations rise and fall; dictators reign in tyranny and greed. And the results are always the same. The old adage rings true – No God, no peace; know God, know peace!
It would be easy to assume that what John is seeing is the last judgment. But everything that John has seen and will see are things the Old Testament prophets had declared – the refusal to follow God’s counsel will bring terrible consequences in any age. God has not called for the last trumpet or final battle. He has more to say to the children of the Earth than the trumpets can express.
Christ’s voice resonates through the trumpet’s pleading notes and Old Testament prophecy. His way of dealing with sin is to love, suffer, and sacrifice – not to condemn. He continues to warn that the natural consequences of hate will always be suffering and death. Christ’s message will be understood by millions because of his sacrifice and the life and death of faithful witnesses who are heirs to his testimony.
John is shown that the witness of the martyrs and resolute believers is essential God’s redemptive purpose. The end will be delayed until their work is finished.
Rev 10:1
Another mighty angel … robed in a cloud… a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars:
Of the many angels introduced in the revelation, only three are called “mighty”.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
Rev 18:21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
This mighty angel is different. Note the identifiers that reveal who this angel is:
- Robed in a cloud (Exod 13:21, 33:9, 40:38, 2 Chron 15:13, Isa 4:5
- Rainbow (notes on 4:3, Gen 9:13, Ezek 1:28)
- Face like the sun (Exod 34:29, Dan 10:6, Matt 17:2, Luke 9:29)
- Legs like fiery pillars (Notes on 1:5, Ezek 1:7 , Dan 2:32)
- Scroll (Notes on chapter 5, Ezra 6:2, Ezek 2:9, Zech 5:1-3)
- A rainbow was upon his head (Gen 9:13-16, Ezek 1:28)
Rev 10:2
He was holding a little scroll:
God’s plan of redemption, symbolized by the scroll with seven seals in chapter 5, could only be opened (accomplished) by the Lamb of God.
We will explore this “little scroll” or “little book” further, starting with verse 8.
The Greek word biblaridion, “little book,” appears only twice in the New Testament – here and in verse 8. The term biblion, “book”, occurs frequently (e.g., Luke 4:17, John 20:30; John 21:25; Galatians 3:10). In Revelation biblion is translated as “scroll”.
Rev 10:2
He planted his right foot on the sea and his left on the land:
This image depicts God’s sovereignty over all creation:
Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
Psa 135:6 The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
Col 1:16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Zech 14:3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
Rev 10:3
And he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion:
Amos 3:8 The lion has roared— who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken— who can but prophesy?
Ps 29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
Ps 29:7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
Rev 10:4
When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down:
Deut 29:29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
Dan 12:4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
Dan 12:8 So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?” 9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
The book in the angel’s hand differs from the scroll of 5: 1-2, and its contents are not revealed. John understood what the seven thunders had spoken, as he was about to write it down, but was instructed not to. Readers can speculate what the thunders revealed, but John was told it would remain a mystery. Some may wonder why he recorded that the thunders spoke if what they said couldn’t be revealed. At the very beginning, Christ told John to write down his experience, so the apostle is simply being obedient. He heard the thunders speak words that will remain a mystery until God’s timing is fulfilled.
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
