Coffeeville First Baptist Church By Craig Baker, Pastor 2/27/25

This week we come to chapter 10 the shortest and perhaps the most straightforward chapter in the tribulation section of Revelation. Chapter 10 contains the first of two interlude visions John received between his visions of the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. I shared with you before that some of these interlude visions cause confusion about the sequence and timeline of Revelation chapters 8 through 18. For example, the ministry of the two witnesses has been going on this entire time, but we are not told about them until chapter 11. While the vision John received of the angel with the little book appears to be in the proper sequence and to have occurred following the sixth trumpet judgment. I believe chapter 10 records a rest, renewing, and reaffirming of the task John was given. No doubt receiving and recording visions of the end times was mentally and physically exhausting. Perhaps, John was growing weary and tired. Whatever the case, John’s encounter with the angel in chapter 10 was to restate the urgency of the message and exhort him for the work that lay ahead. In Revelation 10:1, John said he saw a “Mighty Angel.” Some are convinced this “Mighty Angel” was Jesus because John’s description of the angel shares some similarities with his description of Jesus in Revelation 1. However, there are some key details in this passage that make it clear this angel is not Jesus. For one, John said he saw “another” mighty angel. The words translated “another” indicate that this angel was like the ones John had seen in previous visions. Also, nowhere in Revelation is Jesus ever referred to as an angel. Finally, in verse 6 we are told the angel made an oath, swore, by Him who lives forever and ever, the Creator of all things. Colossians 1:16 and John 1:3 refer to Jesus as the creator through whom all things were made. While this angel shares some similarities in appearance with Jesus, this angel is clearly not Jesus but another powerful messenger from God. John went on to say this angel held a little book open in his hand. Some translations read “little scroll.” There are many theories about this little book. Some say it was the seven sealed scroll from chapter 5. For that to be true, this angel would have to have been Jesus because Jesus was the only one worthy to possess, open, and read that scroll. We have already established that this angel was not Jesus, so this cannot be the scroll from chapter 5. Others say this little book contained the rest of the end time visions John received. What was this little book? We will get to that question in a moment as we move into the second part of chapter 10. Before we do, there are a couple of other things we need to consider. First, why was John told to seal up and not write the things he heard the seven thunders utter? This seems odd because at the beginning of Revelation John was instructed to write down the things that he would be shown, but there are obviously some things that are not for us to know. Perhaps there are some things that are so powerful, so revealing that our minds simply cannot cope with them, so these things remain hidden from us. The bottom line is I do not know what John heard the seven thunders utter or why God told John not to reveal it and neither does anyone else. God certainly had His reasons for doing so, and that is alright, because we have more than enough to deal with in what John was allowed to tells us in Revelation. Another question we must consider before moving on pertains to the mystery of God. The angel told John that with the sounding of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God will be finished, but just what is the mystery of God? Some try to connect this back to the things God told John to seal up and not write down, but in several verses the Bible tells us that the mystery of God has been revealed to us. For example, in Ephesians 1:9 we are told Lord has made known to us the mystery of His will. In 1 Corinthians 4:1 we are told that not only has the mystery of God been revealed to us, but we are stewards, caretakers, of that mystery. This does not mean we are to hide it away, but we are responsible for sharing that mystery with others. Colossians 1:26-27 tells us that the mystery of God that was once hidden has now been revealed to the saints and that mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory. The mystery of God is how He can love us so much that He would send His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins even though we are vile, wicked sinners who are absolutely and completely underserving of His grace, love, and mercy. The angel told John that with the blowing of the seventh trumpet there would be no more delay. We are living in the time of delay when the mystery of God, salvation through faith in Jesus, is still available to all who will believe in Him. However, the angel told John when the seventh trumpet blows the delay will end. The time to accept God’s gift of salvation will be finished. John was then commanded to do something that seems very strange but has a very straight forward meaning. John was told to eat the little book, but again, what is this little book? I said we would come back to that question. As with any other question we may have, if we let the Bible speak for itself and not try to interject our own preconceived interpretations and speculations onto it, we will often find our answers. You see, John was not the first person God told to eat a book or scroll. The prophet Ezekiel was told by God to eat a scroll and fill his stomach with it. Ezekiel said it tasted sweet as honey in his mouth. Ezekiel was then instructed to go speak the words of the Lord to the house of Isreal. The prophet Jeremiah wrote of finding and eating the word of God and said it was unto him the joy and rejoicing of his heart. In Psalm 119, the psalmist wrote the words of the Lord were sweet as honey to his mouth. In the New Testament, God’s Word is compared to bread in Matthew 4:4, milk in 1 Peter 2:2, and meat in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2. This little book was the Word of God. Specifically, it contained the message from God of the things to come. While the message of salvation is sweet, the message of judgment is bitter, but the Revelation of Jesus was not complete. The best and the worst were yet to come, and John was to continue receiving and recording the things that would be revealed to him. All of us who are saved and look forward to Jesus’ return can understand on some level how John must have felt. We love the Word of God. We love to consume it. Its teachings and promises are sweet to our souls. We also understand what its truth means for those who reject its message of salvation through faith in Jesus. For the unsaved, wrath, judgment, and eternal hell are coming, and that message is bitter. If chapter 10 teaches us anything today, it is that time is running out. Judgment is coming, and it is up to us to proclaim the sweet and bitter Word of God to all. No matter how difficult it may be, they must hear the message.