THE MIGHTY ANGEL FROM HEAVEN

Revelation Chapter 10

Between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seals we met with a sort of interlude. That interlude was explained in Chapter seven. We saw that God was remembering mercy in the midst of wrath and then seals a host of Jews and Gentiles. I also stated in that earlier study to expect another parenthesis that would appear between the sixth and seventh trumpets. We shall see this here in chapter ten and eleven through VS. 14. These interludes, or parenthesis, are parts of the plan of God, they are not unconnected segments.


The Appearance of the Mighty Angel:

Rev. 10:1 John tells us that “His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” [Ref. Rev. 1:16]. And “His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace,” [Ref. Rev. 1:15]. We must see here that these are the feet of majesty set for the judgment of the earth. John saw Him “clothed with a cloud.” The cloud of old was the garment of the divine presence and was associated with divine movements. The Lord directed Israel by day in “a pillar of cloud” [Ref. Ex. 13:21]. When Israel murmured, “the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud” [Ref. Ex. 16:10]. At Sinai He descended in “a thick cloud” [Ref. Ex. 19:9, 16] as we can see the cloud is associated with deity as well as with direction [Ref. Num. 9:15-22]. Clouds, then, belong to the attire of deity. The cloud-clothing then tells us that the mighty Angel is Christ.

The idea that Christ should be called an angel need not trouble us. “Angel,” like “Son of Man or Angel of the Lord” here is a title, and neither implies that the One who bears the title is a created being.

We were told in chapter four of Revelation that the rainbow was “round about the throne” [Ref. Rev. 4:3]; here we see it is upon His head. We know that the rainbow is the symbol of God’s everlasting covenant with the earth [Ref. Gen 9:12-13], therefore we should understand none other than the divine person (Jesus Christ) could wear it upon His head [Ref. Ezek. 1:28]. Just as the cloud is indicative of the coming storm of wrath in divine judgment, so the rainbow is indicative of divine mercy in the midst of judgment, and evident symbol of security for the believing ones. God protects His own when conditions on earth are at their worst.

The Actions of the Mighty Angel:

Rev. 10:2 His planting of the feet down, one foot on the earth and the other on the sea, is His claiming both the earth and sea as His own possession. “For the earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof” [Ref. 1Cor. 10:26, 28] when our Lord and Savior sets His feet upon the land and the sea He expresses His intention of taking possession of that which is His, and will subdue all assaults of the enemy.

The Assertion of the Mighty Angel:

Rev. 10:3-4 Our Lord and Savior roared as like the Lion roars. Here is the mighty voice of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah [Ref. Rev. 5:5 cf. Heb. 7:14].
Christ is asserting himself prior to the exercise of judgment. In this loud voice to be heard over all the earth Christ asserts His right to rule and His intention of accomplishing it.

Thunder is recognized as a type of God’s voice in judgment [Ref.1 Sam. 7:10; Psa. 18:13]. We do not have knowledge of these awesome peals of thunder for they are not indicated. The number seven is always directive of the completeness and finality of the Angel’s mighty sayings [Ref. also Psa. 29]. Here in Revelation 10 the seven thunders are the judgment thunders of God.

John heard what the thunders said, and when he was about to record what he heard, a voice out of Heaven said: “Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”

The command was clear and absolute, and John obeyed it. This is the only part of this book which has been sealed. We have revelation and knowledge of all the rest of the book of Revelation.

The Affirmation of the Mighty Angel:

Rev. 10: 5-7 The Mighty Angel lifted His right hand toward Heaven and swore, uttered an oath. The vision is most solemn! Keep in mind that the scene before us does not occur during the age of grace. Under the Law of God which we are observing here in the tribulation period God swore, and here Christ swears to attest the authority and finality of His own statements [Ref. Heb 6:13; Gen. 22:1]. The great events yet to happen in the earth, as announce by God, must surely come to pass. These events have to do with judgment.

The affirmation is “there shall be time no longer” we must see it as that our Lord and Savior is stating that there will be no more “delay”. Explanation is in the next verse.

Christ is saying in the middle or midst of the tribulation that there is one more trumpet judgment. Time will continue long after this event as to what time is meant by man, but what He is saying here is that when the seventh trumpet sounds, all evil in the earth will be put down without further delay. Sin has been reigning, and righteousness has suffered through out man’s day on the earth, but now things must change. There must be reversal of this order to things. The Mighty Angel’s affirmation means that the hour has struck.

We see here that what are stated are that all the counsels and covenants of God concerning His governmental dealings over man and the earth, made known through the penman of Holy Scriptures, will be consummated. When Christ comes to reign, there will be no longer mystery, but manifestation. “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” [Ref. Isa. 11:9]. But we now wait patiently until that day when the mystery spoken of in this verse will be made known. That which is now unknown will then be revealed and sin conquered.

The Agency of the Mighty Angel:

Rev. 10: 8-10 what does the little book contain? Contains divine revelation, it is the Word of God. Its message is that portion of divinely-revealed truth which pertains to the final judgments and the second advent of Christ to reign on earth. The mighty agent (Word of God) Christ uses in disclosing His sovereign purposes.

John was commanded to take the little book, and when he did so, the might Angel said to John take it and eat it up: Eating the Word of God is, in its more general application, appropriating and assimilating God’s truth; it is meditating in it [Ref. Psa. 1:2]. While it is also “How sweet are thy words unto my taste? Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! [Ref. Psa. 119:103]. But with the digestion of the coming judgments leaves the child of God with great heaviness of heart and bitter anguish of soul [Ref. Rom. 9:1-3]. God’s word is a two-edge sword, it contains the sweet message of deliverance and the bitter message of damnation [Ref. Heb. 4:12]. Never the less God’s Word is His agent in Salvation and in condemnation [Ref. John 3:16-18].

The Assignment of the Mighty Angel:

Rev. 10:11 John tells us here that he was to administer to many more people that of which he himself had received here from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The believer who receives God’s truth is solemnly charged to pass it on to others. The minister who fails to teach the whole counsel of God will be held accountable by God [Ref. Ezek. 33:7-9]. There are “peoples and nations and tongues and kings” who must hear God’s message of salvation. John was faithful as we must be, for in the chapters which follow he prophesies of the final over throw of the Nations, the Great White Throne Judgment and hell.