In Revelation 10, a mighty angel comes down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, with a rainbow on his head, his face like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He sets one foot on the sea and one on the land, cries out like a roaring lion, and seven thunders utter their voices – but John is told, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
In this message from our series Revelation: Jesus Revealed – The View Behind The Veil, we explore three mysteries in Revelation 10: the mystery of the sealed-up scroll, the mystery of the divine delay – as the angel swears that there should be delay no longer and the mystery of God will be finished – and the mystery of the bittersweet book that John is told to take and eat.
Like John and the prophet Ezekiel, we must first take God’s Word in before we can give it out. His Word is sweeter than honey to our taste, and it is given to us so that we might share it with others.
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Revelation 10:1 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.
Revelation 10:2 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,
Revelation 10:3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he
cried out seven thunders uttered their voices.
Revelation 10:4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about
to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which
the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
Revelation 10:5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land
raised up his hand to heaven
Revelation 10:6 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,
Revelation 10:7 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.
Revelation 10:8 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.”
Revelation 10:9 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.”
Revelation 10:10 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
become bitter.
Revelation 10:11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many
peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
I. THE MYSTERY OF THE SEALED-UP SCROLL.
Revelation 10:1 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.
Psalm 103:20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do
His word, heeding the voice of His word.
Revelation 10:2 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,
Revelation 10:3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he
cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Psalm 29:3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
Psalm 29:4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
Psalm 29:5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Psalm 29:7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.
Psalm 29:8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
Psalm 29:9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer gives birth,
Revelation 10:2 He had a little book open in his hand …”
Revelation 10:4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about
to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which
the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
The mysteries of the kingdom, Matthew 13
The mystery of Israel’s blindness, Romans 11
The mystery of the rapture, 1 Corinthians 15
The mystery of lawlessness, 2 Thessalonians 2:7
The mystery of Christ, Ephesians 3
The mystery of Christ in you, Colossians 1
The mystery of godliness, that is God and man one in Christ, 1 Timothy 3:16;
The mystery of God’s will, Ephesians 1:9 and 10
Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the
time of the end;
Daniel 12:8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what
shall be the end of these things?”
Daniel 12:9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and
sealed till the time of the end.
II. THE MYSTERY OF THE DIVINE DELAY.
Revelation 10:5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land
raised up his hand to heaven
Revelation 10:6 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,
Revelation 10:7 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.
III. THE MYSTERY OF THE BITTERSWEET BOOK.
Revelation 10:8 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.”
Revelation 10:9 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.”
1 Corinthians 3:2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until
now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
You are what you eat.
Revelation 10:10 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
become bitter.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to
my mouth!
Revelation 10:11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many
peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
Ezekiel 2:4 For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them,
and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’
Ezekiel 2:5 As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse–for they are
a rebellious house–yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
Ezekiel 2:6 “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their
words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions;
do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a
rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether
they refuse, for they are rebellious.
Ezekiel 2:8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious
like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
Ezekiel 2:9 Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and
behold, a scroll of a book was in it.
Ezekiel 2:10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside
and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 3:1 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this
scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
Ezekiel 3:2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
Ezekiel 3:3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your
stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth
like honey in sweetness.
Ezekiel 3:4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and
speak with My words to them.
God’s Word must first be taken in before we can give it out.
Then God’s Word is given to us that we might share it with others.
