The Book of Revelation (part 20)

Revelation 10

The Mighty Angel

8.26.2020

Review

Ephesians 1:9-10 (PHILLIPS)

For God had allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: he purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfilment in him.

We should be living our now in the light of our future. How are you doing with that?

We are going through the book of Revelation verse by verse on Wednesday nights. Our world is changing. Jesus’ return is soon! I want you to be informed as to what the scriptures have to say about His second coming and what we should be doing to prepare for that day!

The word Revelation in Greek is – Apocalypsis – an unveiling…God is unveiling the future for us.

The book of Revelation is God coming to repossess the earth that rightfully belongs to Him by judging nations, men, and the demonic hosts of hell that work with Lucifer to hold the earth in bondage to darkness and rebellion.

**The book of Revelation is God cleansing the earth of all contamination resulting from the fall of man and bringing it back to its pristine condition enjoyed before Adam’s sin.

Revelation 4 shows God as the creator, owner, and sustainer of all things. The Sovereign. The Almighty. He alone is worthy to bring fair judgments and justice into a fallen world.

Revelation 5 shows God with a scroll in His right hand, the hand of authority. The scroll is God’s title deed to the earth, He is the earth’s rightful owner and is preparing to take it back from His enemy Satan, who took the authority over it from Adam and Eve when they sinned.

In Revelation 6, we looked at the opening of 6 of the 7 seals on the scroll on God’s right hand.

Revelation 7 is a parenthesis between the 6th and 7th seals, showing God’s protection of Jews before the Day of the Lord wrath begins, and shows the raptured saints in heaven before God’s wrath is poured out.

The rapture of the church occurs after the 6th seal is opened and the cosmic disturbances happen in Revelation 6, beginning with verse 12. The rapture ends this period of severe terror by antiChrist, and prepares the way for the 7th seal to be opened and the Day of the Lord to begin.

Revelation 8 is the beginning of the Day of the Lord, which is when the wrath of God is being poured out.

Understand that there is a clear pattern, or sequence of events, that is transpiring in Revelation.

The scroll in God’s right hand has been unsealed. The church of the Lord Jesus will be here for the breaking of the first 6 seals on the scroll as mentioned in Revelation 6.

But the church is taken out before the 7th seal is broken. The 7th seal opens the scroll in God’s hand. The obvious contents of the scroll are 7 trumpets which begin the wrath of God unleashed on those without Christ who follow Satan’s plans. After the 7 trumpets are 7 bowls containing the final outpouring of the wrath of God.

In Revelation 8, the Trumpet Judgments begin.

First Trumpet: Vegetation Affected

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck – Salt water affected

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck – Fresh water affected.

Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

Fifth Trumpet – Locusts from the bottomless pit – demonic forces attack people

Sixth Trumpet – Angels from the Euphrates – fallen angels and demonic forces attack people.

Some believe that the time period of the trumpet judgments is about two years or so. It’s really hard to know for sure. We do know that the antiChrist rules for 3-1/2 years and then turns against Israel. From that time to the blowing of the last or 7th trumpet is 3-1/2 years.

The Great Tribulation (the period of intense persecution right after the antiChrist turns against Israel) will last for a year to a year and a half. No one is quite sure. Just think about this so that when the antiChrist appears with the peace agreement with Israel, you will have an idea of how long we have before the rapture of the church.

Revelation 10

Revelation 10 is another interlude between events and begins a series of events that will culminate with the return of Jesus!

Remember that after the 6th seal in Revelation 6, there was a pause, an interlude, before the 7th seal was broken, and the Day of the Lord began.

Revelation chapter 7 shows 144,000 Jews receiving a seal of protection from God, so that they will not be killed during the awful Day of the Lord judgments. And we also see in Revelation 7:9-17, the rapture of the church to heaven right after the cosmic disturbances in Revelation 6:12-17. Revelation 7 prepares us for the trumpet judgments in Revelation 8 and 9.

Here again, we have seen that in Revelation 8 and 9, the Day of the Lord has begun with the blowing of 6 of the 7 trumpets.

Before the last of the 7 trumpets is blown, an unusual thing occurs with the appearing of an angel. This is important preparation for Revelation 11 and its events.

This is not just any angel.

Revelation 10:1-11 (NKJV)

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 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.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his 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. 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 he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

Back to verse 1

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.

Many Bible scholars believe that this is an angel. But tonight I want to introduce another strong possibility that I think is true. This angel is no ordinary angel. It is none other than an appearance of Jesus Himself.

There are a number of appearances of Jesus in the Old Testament when it refers to the angel of the Lord.

(See Genesis 16:7; Genesis 22:11-18; Genesis 31:11-13; Exodus 3:2-5; Numbers 22: 22-35). It is not out of the ordinary for Jesus to appear as an angel.

The descriptions of this “mighty angel” are also used to describe deity in the Bible.

The angel is dressed in a cloud. God is dressed in a cloud:

Psalms 104:3 (NKJV)

He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,

Daniel 7:13 (NKJV)

I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.

There is a rainbow on His head.

Revelation 4:3 (NKJV)

And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

His face was like the sun.

Revelation 1:16 (NKJV)

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

The angel’s feet were like pillars of fire.

Exodus 13:21-22 (NKJV)

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

Revelation 1:15 (NKJV)

His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

This I believe is an appearance of Jesus!

Notice again that a rainbow is on His head.

Remember that a rainbow was God’s promise to Noah that the earth would never be destroyed by a flood again.

Genesis 9:11-15 (NKJV)

Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth…13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth…15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Though God promised to never again destroy the earth by flood, He has said that the earth will be destroyed by fire.

2 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV)

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Life continued after Noah’s flood, and life will continue on earth after the judgments of fire during the Day of the Lord.

Noah and his family replenished the earth’s population after the flood. And after the Day of the Lord, the 144,000 Jews and others who did not take the mark of the beast and survived will replenish earth’s population during the Millennial reign of Christ.

Revelation 10:2 (NKJV)

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,

This is not the same scroll that God had in His hand. It is a different scroll. It is “small.” Also, this scroll, unlike the scroll in God’s right hand in Revelation 5, has no seals. That means that this scroll will be fulfilled by the one who holds it, this “angel,” who I believe is Jesus Himself!

Notice that the angel set His right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

When a foot or a hand are set on a “place,” it denotes taking possession of something.

Genesis 13:17 (NKJV)

Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.

Joshua 1:2-3 (NKJV)

Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.

This angel, or Christ Himself, is saying by this act that He is taking possession of the world!

This is what happens when the 7th trumpet is blown in Revelation 11.

Revelation 10:3-6

…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 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.” (5) The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his 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,

Here the Lion of the Tribe of Judah roars like a lion with a tremendous sound like thunder.

Hosea 11:10 (NKJV)

They shall walk after the LORD. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling from the west;

Again it mentions the angel or Jesus is standing on the land and on the sea, showing that He possesses the whole earth.

Then the angel or Jesus takes an oath in 4 ways.

He swore by the God who lives forever and ever.

He swore by Him who created the heavens and the things in it.

He swore by the earth and the things in it.

He then swore by the sea and the things in it.

He declared that there would be no more delay.

He was saying that the time is NOW for the kingdom of God to manifest in the earth.

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.

What is the mystery of God?

Ephesians 1:9-10 (NKJV)

Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

He says here that when the 7th angel sounds his trumpet, the Kingdom of God would once again rule the earth. This literally happened in Revelation 11:15.

Revelation 11:15-17 (NKJV)

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (16) And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

This is the very end of the 7 years of what people typically call the tribulation. Jesus returns to earth at this time to defeat the antiChrist.

75 additional days

Now here is a mystery revealed to Daniel. After the 7-year period, there are 75 additional days added for God to cleanse the earth and prepare for the Millennial reign of Jesus. 30 of those days will be for the 7 bowl judgments to quickly bring the antiChrist and his armies to defeat, and then 45 of those days are an interim between the battle of Armageddon and the 1000 year rule of Christ.

Daniel 12:11-13 (NKJV)

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. 13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

The time period between the AntiChrist desecrating the rebuilt temple and his defeat at Armageddon is 3-1/2 years plus 3O days.

Jesus’ returns when the 7th trumpet is blown, and is here during the bowl judgments. He goes back and brings believers with Him from Heaven to help Him with the last battle (Armageddon).

Revelation 10:8-11

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 he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

This little scroll mentioned in 11:2 contains what will happen with 2 witnesses in Revelation 11 and their ministry for 3 ½ years during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. And it has to do with the completion of the earth’s cleansing by the bowl judgments.

The 70th week will end with the blowing of the 7th trumpet and Christ’s returning to the earth as King. But His return will not be as an illegal invader or usurper. He will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and legitimate heir to the throne of David. From Jerusalem, His capital city, during the 75 days beyond the 70th week, He will punish the nations that have survived the trumpet judgments with the pouring out in rapid succession of the 7 bowl judgments.

(From ZionsHope.org/…link_ZF_Mighty_Angel…2009, page 5).