Glory

The angel’s message involves the whole world, too. This book is “little” because the time of the Great Tribulation won’t be long. The Lord Jesus said it was brief. The prophet Daniel labeled it as seven years. There’s not much time left. Romans 9:28 tells us “He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

Hi everyone, I’m Tammy Becker.  Welcome to the Almighty God & Gospel Girl Podcast.  This is week fifteen into our series of Revelation and our podcast today is titled: Glory.   My podcast today will be based on the reading of Revelation 10:1-11:2.  And if you would like to follow along with the notes or maybe you would like to find the links to anything mentioned in the podcast today, you can go to the link in the description or by visiting www.youministries.com and visiting the corresponding page.  As we get started today, I would like to remind you of my disclaimer, that as always…do not take my word, or anyone’s word for what you read…get yourself in the Bible and let God discern His Word to you.  I am only human and make many mistakes and do not claim to know or understand everything in the Bible…I just hope by bringing out this study that your interest is sparked enough to get into God’s Word and begin to deep dive on your own.

Almost as if God knew we needed a mental and emotional rest from the stream of judgments, He gives us a break between the sixth and seventh trumpets. In this interlude in Revelation 10, He fills in some details about what’s happening at this same time back to heaven. Our focus shifts, temporarily, from the outpouring of God’s wrath on unbelievers on earth, to the comfort and encouragement of believers in heaven. Like the pause between the sixth and seventh seals when the two groups (Jews and Gentiles) were redeemed and sealed, now between the sixth and seventh trumpets, we are introduced to three personalities.

Just as angels announced Jesus’ first coming, they will also announce His second coming to the earth. The first personality we meet is a mighty angel and then later, in Revelation 11, we meet two witnesses.  This mighty angel is no regular angel, but neither is this angel the Lord Jesus Christ, who never appears in Revelation as an angel. When Jesus Christ appeared in the Old Testament before coming to earth as a baby, He was called the Angel of the Lord. After He died and rose again and received a glorified body, we only see Him in the place of great power and glory at God’s right hand, never as an angel again. When He was here in His humanity, He was not an angel—He was a man. Therefore, He is revealed in the Revelation as the glorified Christ, as the post-incarnate Christ. He is exalted to the “highest place,” says Philippians 2. This book unveils the full picture of who Jesus Christ is. New glories of His person, of His power, and performance unfold with each chapter. He is now the One judging mankind who rejected Him as Savior.

When John describes this mighty angel coming down from heaven, he said “another” angel. He had previously told us about a strong angel back in Revelation 5:2. The way these angels are dressed identifies them as with Christ. Evidently, they are special ambassadors of Christ, bearing all the credentials of His exalted position. This mighty angel comes down out of heaven from the presence of Christ, the One who is in the midst of the throne and they are a sight to behold!

This mighty angel is “clothed with a cloud,” like the clouds of glory associated with Christ’s second coming. A “rainbow” is the cap of his uniform and a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His covenant with man and His mercy. Although the judgments have come, thick and fast, weird and wild—it beggars language to describe them—this rainbow indicates God will not send a flood to destroy man again.

The mighty angel’s countenance is radiant, with a face “like the sun,” reflecting the majesty of God. This is his badge of identification with Christ, a signature of His glory. Just like Moses’ face shone after he had been in God’s presence (see Exodus 34:29), this angel’s face shines because he’s come out from the Lord’s presence. (Even the angel’s robes glowed at Jesus’ resurrection in Luke 24:4.)

The angel’s feet and legs were “like pillars of fire,” reminding us of the pillar of fire in the wilderness, a manifestation of God’s holiness, mercy, and judgment. This angel has come to make a solemn announcement of coming judgment as a special envoy of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Judge of all the earth.

In his hands, this mighty messenger holds “a little book,” which logically would be the seven-sealed book we’ve seen before. John used a different and rare Greek word to describe it (biblaridion, not biblion), but it’s likely the same scroll since it’s already been opened, unrolled in the angel’s hand.

This little book, if it is the same as the seven-sealed book, was originally in the hands of the Father in heaven (5:1) who transfers it to the nail-pierced hands of God the Son, the only One who had the right to open it. When Jesus broke open the seven seals on the book, it introduced the seven trumpets, six of which have already been blown. After He removes the seals, the Lord Jesus Christ in turn gives the book to the angel, who then finally, gives it to John to eat.

This is the title deed of the earth, and contains the judgments the Lord executes in the Great Tribulation. The book is now open, and the judgments are on display. This book gives the angel authority to claim both the sea and the earth for Christ. He puts one foot on the sea and the other foot upon the earth, and says they belong to God. We are but tenants in the world God created. In a great voice, this angel claims it all for Christ. As Creator and Redeemer, the world belongs to Him.

The angel’s message involves the whole world, too. This book is “little” because the time of the Great Tribulation won’t be long. The Lord Jesus said it was brief. The prophet Daniel labeled it as seven years. There’s not much time left. Romans 9:28 tells us “He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

As the angel declares this, a majestic loud cry produced “seven thunders”— this is God’s amen! (See also Psalm 29:3 and Job 37:5.) The voice of the Lord Jesus, now in heaven, confirms the angel’s claim that He will soon come to power on this earth.

John took down this confirmation as the visions were given to him, and he was about to write what the seven thunders had spoken—he heard it, and they were audible words—but he was forbidden to do so. Why? This is the only place in Revelation where anything is sealed—everything else is revealed. God makes it clear at the end of the book that He has told everything. Yet, the Lord Jesus Christ said to John, “Seal them up. Don’t write this down.” To this day, they remain a secret. Although Revelation reveals Jesus Christ, there are still many things God doesn’t tell us.

The mighty angel, standing both on the sea and the land, takes an oath in the name of Christ who is in heaven; and as Christ’s representative, he claims it all for Christ (see Colossians 1:16). The angel also comforts God’s saints on earth in the middle of this trouble, that it won’t last much longer. Christ will return soon, he promises. This glad announcement from heaven says the time is short, “Don’t worry. He who endures to the end will be saved” (see Matthew 24:13). Why? Because God has sealed them, and they will make it through the Great Tribulation. The martyrs in heaven have been praying for this, too. The kingdom is coming, as we’ve prayed in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:10).

The seal and trumpet judgments take time to unfold, giving people time to repent—and many do (see 6:15-17; 9:20-21). The bowl judgments that come with this seventh trumpet will happen so quickly in succession that people will have little time to turn around (see 2 Peter 3:1-9).

This all takes place when the seventh angel is ready to blow the trumpet. As this seventh trumpet announces the second half of the Great Tribulation, God will fully reveal His mystery, His plans for humanity. We’ve been told many single facets of this mystery—including the nation Israel, judgment, suffering, injustice, the silence of God, and the coming Kingdom—but this mystery is greater than the sum total of all.

Why did God permit evil, and why has He tolerated it for so long? That’s the foundation to this mystery, and God hasn’t handed in His answer yet. He will someday. He has a whole lot to tell us, and when we get into His presence, we’ll find out.

After this, John apparently returns to the earth in spirit and hears the Lord Jesus’ voice from heaven directing him to take the book from the angel. Jesus is in full charge of every operation recorded in Revelation. God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name above every name. He is now acting as Judge of all the earth.

As John takes the book, the angel invites him into the great drama unfolding. He tells John to do a very strange thing—eat it. Eating the book means to receive the Word of God with faith. The prophet Jeremiah and Ezekiel instructs the same (Jeremiah 15:16, Ezekiel 3:1-3; see also Psalm 119:103, Proverbs 16:24).

The part of God’s Word John was told to eat was God’s judgment—first sweet, then bitter. It’s sweet to know what God is going to do, but bitter when you realize judgment is coming. John eagerly received the Word of God, but it was sweet in his mouth and bitter in his digestive system. John believed that all nations, all peoples, and all tongues need to hear the Word of God to be warned of the coming judgment. This is why this little book became bitter to him: He must prophesy against many before Christ comes to His Kingdom. Just like us—we can delight in reading this section of the Word of God and know what God intends to do, but the prophecy of coming judgment to a world who rejects the Lord Jesus Christ is bitter.

We can also take this to heart. Many people begin the study of prophecy with enthusiasm, but when they find that it applies to their lives and makes demands on them personally, they lose interest, and it becomes a bitter thing. Many study prophecy because it’s a curiosity to know the future, but they discover the Word of God speaks more to a holy life than coming events (see 1 John 3:3). You can’t study prophecy and live a dirty life. The whole Word of God must have its way in our hearts. The study of prophecy will have a definite effect upon your life: It will either bring you closer to Christ, or it will take you farther from Him.

Next week we will be talking about Who those two witnesses doing miracles and pointing people to God are?