Revelation Review Chapter 10
Weekly Wednesday writings on Revelation one chapter at a time.
Before we hear the 7th trumpet, there is the 2nd interlude from 10:1-11:13. In the first interlude (chapter 7) John shows us the number who are sealed. The wind has been and will be held back and judgment will not come to those people throughout history and today who are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then the 7th seal was opened, there was silence, and then begins the 7 trumpets. Now again John pauses before the 7th trumpet to bring us many different pictures that reveal Jesus.
“And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:5-7
“Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.” Luke 7:24-28
John uses the word “mighty angel”, the word angel is used to describe a messenger, here that messenger is John the Baptist. His voice “like the roar of a lion” prepared the way for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist, a prophet who spoke the words of the Holy Spirit, who did the work of a prophet and stood on the earth and baptized with water of the sea. At the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. John the Baptist prepared the Israelites for the coming of Jesus, and in Jesus the “mystery of God would be fulfilled”.
This is the same mystery that Paul wrote about in Ephesians 3:4-6:
“When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
The entire scriptures point to Jesus, in the Old Testament, Jesus is a mystery, He has not been revealed to the people of Israel. Then when Jesus came to earth, he fulfilled all that had been prophesied about Him and all the Law. There is no more mystery. Jesus has been revealed to all people, all nations and every language.
Starting in verse 8 through verse 11, John acknowledges that he has been given a work to proclaim the truth of all scripture. When John eats the scroll, he is accepting the work to tell God’s word this is the sweet taste. Then the message will be bitter in his stomach, people will not listen or accept the message John has been given to tell. This sweet to taste and bitter in the stomach is also how the message felt to Ezekiel as written in Ezekiel 2:6-3:7. Part of the message from God to Ezekiel was verse 7 “And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.” The image revealed to John in Revelation is that this message of Jesus, the Lamb, this message to all people on earth, will have the same response as God’s message to Israel in the Old Testament. For some people on earth will hear God’s word and believe and some will refuse to hear.
I studied Revelation in depth about 3 years ago, using multiple sources. Then a few years ago I wrote a personal study, hoping to convey Revelation as not some kind of new teaching, that I many times found in my studies. But to convey Revelation as an extension and continuation of scripture. It is now that I find myself rewriting the study I wrote a few years ago. It is only this third time at looking deeply into this scripture I have considered the angel in chapter 10 to be John the Baptist. I tried to find other resources to support this kind of interpretation and I did not. The description of the angel at the beginning of the chapter seems to describe Jesus but the angel’s voice is “like the roar of a lion” and the angel “swore by him who lives forever and ever” so this image cannot be Jesus. During the time that John the Baptist lived he proclaimed Jesus as Lord, pointing the Israelites to their Messiah. If they believed John the Baptist they believed in Jesus and His salvation. This could be why John, the writer of Revelation, gives John the Baptist the description of one similar to Jesus with “and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire”.