March 10, 2024
“Revelation 10
New King James Version
The Mighty Angel with the Little Book
10 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. 2 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, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders [a]uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying [b]to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his [c]hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
John Eats the Little Book
8 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.”
9 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.”
10 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. 11 And [d]he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 10:4 NU, M sounded,
- Revelation 10:4 NU, M omit to me
- Revelation 10:5 NU, M right hand
- Revelation 10:11 NU, M they
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” (BibleGateway.com)
“10:1-7.
The angel and the little scroll
1-6. The identity of the mighty angel.
This angel is an actual angel who symbolizes Christ (cf. 5:2; 8:3). As representative of Christ, the angel reflects His glory and bears the insignia attributed in 1:15-16 and 4:3 to Christ Himself, 1. His stupendous act of setting his foot on land and sea shows Christ’s right to claim the earth as His own, 2 (Ps 95:5; Eph 1:13-14). The angel’s loud cry and the seven thunders give full testimony to Christ’s authority over the earth, 3-4a. His oath that ‘there will be no more delay’ shows Christ’s divine sovereignty and control in these matters of judgment, 6.
7. The mystery of God fulfilled. ‘The mystery of God’ is the theme of the ‘little scroll,’ and concerns Christ as incarnate Redeemer of the earth. It is a preciously hidden truth, now fully revealed, which focuses upon Christ, in whom God’s plan for this earth is centered and unfolded. This truth is the grand theme of the rest of Revelation where ‘the mystery of God’ is ‘accomplished,’ i.e., completed. It will be ‘as He [God] announced [Gr. ‘evangelized; announced the good news’] to his servants the prophets,’ who declared the grand themes of Christ’s redemption, kingdom and eternal glory.’
’10:8-11.
John and the little scroll
8-10. What the little scroll is. The little scroll (book) is not only the record of the fulfillment of the mystery of God, 7, and distinguished from the seven-sealed book of 5:1, but it seems to be, in part at least, the book Daniel was told to seal up till the time of the end (Dan 12:4, 9). This passage in Daniel appears to be the foundation for these verses. This is the reason the scroll was ‘sweet as honey’ when first eaten (Ezk 2:8-9; 3:1-3; Ps. 19:10; 119:103), but when digested, ‘sour’ (Jer 15:10; 20:14-18). The bright promises of deliverance for Daniel’s people were preluded by terrible suffering and judgment.
11. Its effect on John’s ministry. As a result the seer must prophesy again, as he had done in the previous section, ‘about many peoples.’” (The New Unger’s Bible Handbook-Merrill F Unger-Revised by Gary N. Larson-MOODY PRESS-Chicago)
Let him who has an ear, hear what the Holy Spirit says to His church. Amen.
“Adversity is the test of faith; prosperity is the test of integrity.”
(THE JEREMIAH STUDY BIBLE—DR. DAVID JEREMIAH—NEW KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE—WORTHY)
Have a blessed Sunday beloved of YESHUA CHRIST JESUS. Amen.
With much awesome, patient, longsuffering-love, grace, and mercy, from our heavenly Abba-Father-GOD, our Savior and Redeemer-YESHUA JESUS CHRIST, and His Holy Spirit, to Israel and to you and I; Sincerely: Mr. and Mrs. Timothy M. and Linda Shephard. Amen.