Revelation 10: Summary and Commentary

Verse 1

10:1–11:14 This interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets is divided into two parts: (1) the seven thunders and the small scroll (10:1-11), and (2) the two witnesses (11:1-13). The interlude ends with the announcement that the second terror is finished (11:14).

10:1 another mighty angel (see 5:2; 7:2; cp. 1:12-16): This angel appears similar to the huge bronze Colossus that stood as a symbol of human power in the harbor of Rhodes for several decades before it was toppled by an earthquake in the late 200s BC. The statue still lay broken at the time that John wrote Revelation. It was about 100 feet tall and represented the sun god, Helios. The angel was surrounded by a cloud, suggesting that he dwarfed the Rhodes statue and, by implication, all idols. The rainbow over his head is a reminder that the enthroned God is encircled by a rainbow (4:3), a biblical symbol of God’s covenant with humanity (Gen 9:8-17).

Verse 2

10:2-3 Although the scroll is small, it is not unimportant. It reveals a small yet critical part of God’s purposes in events still to come before eternity begins. • he gave a great shout: Cp. Job 37:2-5; Ps 18:13; 29:3-4.

Verse 4

10:4 Revelation reveals God’s intentions in the world without eliminating the mystery of God’s ways. The martyrs did not receive an immediate answer to their cries (6:10), the meaning of the seventh seal is cloaked in silence (8:1), and here the seven thunders are kept secret (cp. Dan 12:9).

Verse 5

10:5-6 While raising one’s right hand is common in taking an oath today, it is rare in biblical literature (cp. Gen 14:22; 24:9; Dan 12:7). • When making an oath, Jews were very careful not to swear lightly by God’s name (see Exod 20:7). Jesus also rebuked insincere oath-taking (see Matt 5:33-37; 23:16-22). When God swore an oath, he did so in his own name as the highest possible point of reference (see Gen 22:16; Ps 89:35-36; Jer 22:5; Heb 6:13-18).

Verse 7

10:7 angel blows his trumpet: See 1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thes 4:16. • God’s mysterious plan for the world is no surprise; the prophets who served God in the past warned that the day of the Lord would come (see Joel 2:1-3, 10-11; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph 1:14-18).

Verse 8

10:8-10 As in Ezekiel’s experience, the scroll tasted sweet in the mouth (Ezek 3:1-3; see Jer 15:16; see also Pss 19:10; 119:103). The experiences yet to come for God’s people would be sweet, including the victory of God’s plan and the vindication of his people. John’s sour . . . stomach resembles the effects of Ezekiel’s hard message for Israel (Ezek 3:8-9). The process of bringing God’s plan to fruition involves hardship.

Verse 11

10:11 Unlike Ezekiel, who prophesied for Israel alone, John must prophesy . . . about (or against) all the people of the world. There is debate whether “about” or “against” is the best translation; “about” allows for both promise and judgment (see both in 21:24-27).

Verse 1

Here we have an account of another vision the apostle was favoured with, between the sounding of the sixth trumpet and that of the seventh. And we observe,

I. The person who was principally concerned in communicating this discovery to John - an angel from heaven, another mighty angel, who is so set forth as would induce one to think it could be no other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 1. He was clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory, which is too great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil upon his dispensations. Clouds and darkness are round about him. 2. A rainbow was upon his head; he is always mindful of his covenant, and, when his conduct is most mysterious, yet it is perfectly just and faithful. 3. His face was as the sun, all bright, and full of lustre and majesty, Rev 1:16. 4. His feet were as pillars of fire; all his ways, both of grace and providence, are pure and steady.

II. His station and posture: He set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth, to show the absolute power and dominion he had over the world. And he held in his hand a little book opened, probably the same that was before sealed, but was now opened, and gradually fulfilled by him.

III. His awful voice: He cried aloud, as when a lion roareth (Rev 10:3), and his awful voice was echoed by seven thunders, seven solemn and terrible ways of discovering the mind of God.

IV. The prohibition given to the apostle, that he should not publish, but conceal what he had learned from the seven thunders, Rev 10:4. The apostle was for preserving and publishing every thing he saw and heard in these visions, but the time had not yet come.

V. The solemn oath taken by this mighty angel. 1. The manner of his swearing: He lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever, by himself, as God often has done, or by God as God, to whom he, as Lord, Redeemer, and ruler of the world, now appeals. 2. The matter of the oath: that there shall be time no longer; either, (1.) That there shall be now no longer delay in fulfilling the predictions of this book than till the last angel should sound; then every thing should be put into speedy execution: the mystery of God shall be finished, Rev 10:7. Or, (2.) That when this mystery of God is finished time itself shall be no more, as being the measure of things that are in a mutable changing state; but all things shall be at length for ever fixed, and so time itself swallowed up in eternity.

Verse 8

Here we have, I. A strict charge given to the apostle, which was, 1. That he should go and take the little book out of the hands of that mighty angel mentioned before. This charge was given, not by the angel himself who stood upon the earth, but by the same voice from heaven that in the fourth verse had lain an injunction upon him not to write what he had discerned by the seven thunders. 2. To eat the book; this part of the charge was given by the angel himself, hinting to the apostle that before he should publish what he had discovered he must more thoroughly digest the predictions, and be in himself suitably affected with them.

II. An account of the taste and relish which this little book would have, when the apostle had taken it in; at first, while in his mouth, sweet. All persons feel a pleasure in looking into future events, and in having them foretold; and all good men love to receive a word from God, of what import soever it be. But, when this book of prophecy was more thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents would be bitter; these were things so awful and terrible, such grievous persecutions of the people of God, and such desolation made in the earth, that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would not be pleasant, but painful to the mind of the apostle: thus was Ezekiel's prophecy to him, Eze 3:3.

III. The apostle's discharge of the duty he was called to (Rev 10:10): He took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up, and he found the relish to be as was told him. 1. It becomes the servants of God to digest in their own souls the messages they bring to others in his name, and to be suitably affected therewith themselves. 2. It becomes them to deliver every message with which they are charged, whether pleasing or unpleasing to men. That which is least pleasing may be most profitable; however, God's messengers must not keep back any part of the counsel of God.

IV. The apostle is made to know that this book of prophecy, which he had now taken in, was not given him merely to gratify his own curiosity, or to affect him with pleasure or pain, but to be communicated by him to the world. Here his prophetical commission seems to be renewed, and he is ordered to prepare for another embassy, to convey those declarations of the mind and will of God which are of great importance to all the world, and to the highest and greatest men in the world, and such should be read and recorded in many languages. This indeed is the case; we have them in our language, and are all obliged to attend to them, humbly to enquire into the meaning of them, and firmly to believe that every thing shall have its accomplishment in the proper time; and, when the prophecies shall be fulfilled, the sense and truth of them will appear, and the omniscience, power, and faithfulness of the great God will be adored.

Verse 2

he had—Greek, "Having."

in his hand—in his left hand: as in Rev 10:5 (see on Rev 10:5), he lifts up his right hand to heaven.

a little book—a roll little in comparison with the "book" (Rev 5:1) which contained the whole vast scheme of God's purposes, not to be fully read till the final consummation. This other, a less book, contained only a portion which John was now to make his own (Rev 10:9, Rev 10:11), and then to use in prophesying to others. The New Testament begins with the word "book" (Greek, "biblus"), of which "the little book" (Greek, "biblaridion") is the diminutive, "the little bible," the Bible in miniature.

upon the sea . . . earth—Though the beast with seven heads is about to arise out of the sea (Rev 13:1), and the beast with two horns like a lamb (Rev 13:11) out of the earth, yet it is but for a time, and that time shall no longer be (Rev 10:6-7) when once the seventh trumpet is about to sound; the angel with his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth, claims both as God's, and as about soon to be cleared of the usurper and his followers.

Verse 3

as . . . lion—Christ, whom the angel represents, is often so symbolized (Rev 5:5, "the Lion of the tribe of Juda").

seven thunders—Greek, "the seven thunders." They form part of the Apocalyptic symbolism; and so are marked by the article as well known. Thus thunderings marked the opening of the seventh seal (Rev 8:1, Rev 8:5); so also at the seventh vial (Rev 16:17-18). WORDSWORTH calls this the prophetic use of the article; "the thunders, of which more hereafter." Their full meaning shall be only known at the grand consummation marked by the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet (Rev 11:19), and the seventh vial.

uttered their—Greek, "spake their own voices"; that is, voices peculiarly their own, and not now revealed to men.

Verse 4

when—Aleph reads, "Whatsoever things." But most manuscripts support English Version.

uttered their voices—A, B, C, and Aleph omit "their voices." Then translate, "had spoken."

unto me—omitted by A, B, C, Aleph, and Syriac.

Seal up—the opposite command to Rev 22:20. Even though at the time of the end the things sealed in Daniel's time were to be revealed, yet not so the voices of these thunders. Though heard by John, they were not to be imparted by him to others in this book of Revelation; so terrible are they that God in mercy withholds them, since "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." The godly are thus kept from morbid ponderings over the evil to come; and the ungodly are not driven by despair into utter recklessness of life. ALFORD adds another aim in concealing them, namely, "godly fear, seeing that the arrows of God's quiver are not exhausted." Besides the terrors foretold, there are others unutterable and more horrifying lying in the background.

Verse 5

lifted up his hand—So A and Vulgate read. But B, C, Aleph, Syriac, and Coptic, ". . . his right hand." It was customary to lift up the hand towards heaven, appealing to the God of truth, in taking a solemn oath. There is in this part of the vision an allusion to Dan 12:1-13. Compare Rev 10:4, with Dan 12:4, Dan 12:9; and Rev 10:5-6, end, with Dan 12:7. But there the angel clothed in linen, and standing upon the waters, sware "a time, times, and a half" were to interpose before the consummation; here, on the contrary, the angel standing with his left foot on the earth, and his right upon the sea, swears there shall be time no longer. There he lifted up both hands to heaven; here he has the little book now open (whereas in Daniel the book is sealed) in his left hand (Rev 10:2), and he lifts up only his right hand to heaven.

Verse 6

liveth for ever and ever—Greek, "liveth unto the ages of the ages" (compare Dan 12:7).

created heaven . . . earth . . . sea, &c.—This detailed designation of God as the Creator, is appropriate to the subject of the angel's oath, namely, the consummating of the mystery of God (Rev 10:7), which can surely be brought to pass by the same Almighty power that created all things, and by none else.

that there should be time no longer—Greek, "that time (that is, an interval of time) no longer shall be." The martyrs shall have no longer a time to wait for the accomplishment of their prayers for the purgation of the earth by the judgments which shall remove their and God's foes from it (Rev 6:11). The appointed season or time of delay is at an end (the same Greek is here as in Rev 6:11, chronus). Not as English Version implies, Time shall end and eternity begin.

Verse 7

But—connected with Rev 10:6. "There shall be no longer time (that is, delay), but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to (so the Greek) sound his trumpet (so the Greek), then (literally, 'also'; which conjunction often introduces the consequent member of a sentence) the mystery of God is finished," literally, "has been finished"; the prophet regarding the future as certain as if it were past. A, C, Aleph, and Coptic read the past tense (Greek, "etelesthee"). B reads, as English Version, the future tense (Greek, "telesthee"). "should be finished" (compare Rev 11:15-18). Sweet consolation to the waiting saints! The seventh trumpet shall be sounded without further delay.

the mystery of God—the theme of the "little book," and so of the remainder of the Apocalypse. What a grand contrast to the "mystery of iniquity Babylon!" The mystery of God's scheme of redemption, once hidden in God's secret counsel and dimly shadowed forth in types and prophecies, but now more and more clearly revealed according as the Gospel kingdom develops itself, up to its fullest consummation at the end. Then finally His servants shall praise Him most fully, for the glorious consummation of the mystery in having taken to Himself and His saints the kingdom so long usurped by Satan and the ungodly. Thus this verse is an anticipation of Rev 11:15-18.

declared to—Greek, "declared the glad tidings to." "The mystery of God" is the Gospel glad tidings. The office of the prophets is to receive the glad tidings from God, in order to declare them to others. The final consummation is the great theme of the Gospel announced to, and by, the prophets (compare Gal 3:8).

Verse 8

spake . . . and said—So Syriac and Coptic read. But A, B, C, "(I heard) again speaking with me, and saying" (Greek, "lalousan . . . legousan").

little book—So Aleph and B read. But A and C, "the book."

Verse 9

I went—Greek, "I went away." John here leaves heaven, his standing-point of observation heretofore, to be near the angel standing on the earth and sea.

Give—A, B, C, and Vulgate read the infinitive, "Telling him to give."

eat it up—appropriate its contents so entirely as to be assimilated with (as food), and become part of thyself, so as to impart them the more vividly to others. His finding the roll sweet to the taste at first, is because it was the Lord's will he was doing, and because, divesting himself of carnal feeling, he regarded God's will as always agreeable, however bitter might be the message of judgment to be announced. Compare Psa 40:8, Margin, as to Christ's inner complete appropriation of God's word.

thy belly bitter—parallel to Eze 2:10, "There was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."

as honey— (Psa 19:10; Psa 119:103). Honey, sweet to the mouth, sometimes turns into bile in the stomach. The thought that God would be glorified (Rev 11:3-6, Rev 11:11-18) gave him the sweetest pleasure. Yet, afterwards the belly, or carnal natural feeling, was embittered with grief at the prophecy of the coming bitter persecutions of the Church (Rev 11:7-10); compare Joh 16:1-2. The revelation of the secrets of futurity is sweet to one at first, but bitter and distasteful to our natural man, when we learn the cross which is to be borne before the crown shall be won. John was grieved at the coming apostasy and the sufferings of the Church at the hands of Antichrist.

Verse 10

the little book—So A and C, but B, Aleph, and Vulgate, "the book."

was bitter—Greek, "was embittered."

Verse 11

he said—A, B, and Vulgate read, "they say unto me"; an indefinite expression for "it was said unto me."

Thou must—The obligation lies upon thee, as the servant of God, to prophesy at His command.

again—as thou didst already in the previous part of this book of Revelation.

before, &c.—rather as Greek (epilaois), "concerning many peoples," &c., namely, in their relation to the Church. The eating of the book, as in Ezekiel's case, marks John's inauguration to his prophetical office—here to a fresh stage in it, namely, the revealing of the things which befall the holy city and the Church of God—the subject of the rest of the book.

Next: Revelation Chapter 11