SEVEN TRUMPETS (6-2) | 2ND WOE - THE LITTLE BOOK (REVELATION 10:1-11)
1. Revelation
a) John wrote Revelation while a prisoner on the Island of Patmos, approximately 85-95 A.D. Its purpose is to give encouragement and hope for all Christians to continue watching for the return and triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also is to warn of the Final Judgment that nonbelievers will endure on that Last Day.
b) John wrote that Revelation is special because,“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
c) A brief view of the Book of Revelation. It gives you some basic understanding of the book of Revelation.
2. The Sixth Trumpet (2nd Woe - The Little Book)
Revelation 10:1-11
1 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; 2 and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; 3 and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. 4 When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” 5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And they *said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
3. The Strong Angel
Revelation 10:1
a) Strong angel
i) This mighty angel acts and appears in such a manner as to prefigure the second coming of Christ. This angel is not Christ, but he is signifying Christ's advent. His presence is in the clouds and spans earth and sea.
b) Rainbow
i) On the angel's head there is a rainbow (Genesis 9:13) —a symbol (in this vision) of the gospel covenant of promise including the forgiveness of sins.
c) Feet of fire
i) The angel's feet were like pillars of fire, and he stood astride earth and sea (Revelation 10:1-2). This signifies the judgment of the whole world.
4. The Little Book
Revelation 10:2-4
a) Little book open
i) This is the main object of interest in the vision, and in this lesson we focus on its meaning. The book is open, to signify that it contains no mystery or secret. It is little, to signify that it relates to the short time granted to each sinner to repent. More is said later about this book.
b) Cries out
i) The angel shouts with a loud voice to prefigure the Lord's cry and the voice of the archangel at the second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16). It was like the roar of a lion (Revelation 10:3). The lion is a symbol of Christ the King of kings. This shout is followed by seven peals of thunder, a symbol of power and of the voice of God
c) Seal up
i) John is not permitted to write down what he hears the thunders say, so we are not permitted to know it yet (Revelation 10:4). This signifies that God's judgment is not yet finally spoken, and those who now stand condemned still have an opportunity to repent and be forgiven (Acts 3:19-21). You will recall that in the previous vision of the four killing angels, the deep tragedy was that those who were spared death "did not repent " (Revelation 9:20-21). God gives even the Jezebels of this world "space to repent" (Revelation 2:21). So God's judgment is not pronounced prematurely, rather he is "patient toward you, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However we should not rely upon this seal, nor test God's patience, but hasten to repent, for the time is near.
5. The Angel’s Oath
Revelation 10:5-7
a) Angel's oath
i) The angel swears by God that there will be delay no longer and the mystery of God will soon be finished (Revelation 10:5-7). The mystery spoken of here is the gospel preached to the prophets. It was a mystery then, but it now is manifest (Colossians 1:25-27). The swearing of an oath by the angel signifies the oath that God himself swore to confirm his promises (Hebrews 6:13-20).
6. John Eats The Book
Revelation 10:8-11
a) Eat the book
i) John is told to take the book that is open in the angel's hand. When he obeys, the angel tells him to eat the book. The angel said that the little book would taste sweet in his mouth, but become bitter in his stomach. And so it was (Revelation 10:8-10).
b) The little book
i) The book represents the sins of mankind, such as were listed in the previous vision (Revelation 9:20-21). Men commit sin because they seek the sweet taste of pleasure or satisfaction. However, as Moses understood, the pleasures of sin are but "passing pleasures" (Hebrews 11:24-26). The sweetness is a deception, and the real result of sin is bitterness. However, by God's grace, if sinners will believe and obey Jesus, and repent of sins, they can escape the ultimate bitterness of sin.
c) Many peoples
i) The angel reminds John that the message signified in the vision is applicable to every part of the world, to every generation, to people of every rank (Revelation 10:11). The angel anticipates the next vision, the vision of the two witnesses, before the seventh trumpet sounds.
1 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; 2 and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; 3 and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. 4 When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” 5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And they *said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
3. The Strong Angel
Revelation 10:1
a) Strong angel
i) This mighty angel acts and appears in such a manner as to prefigure the second coming of Christ. This angel is not Christ, but he is signifying Christ's advent. His presence is in the clouds and spans earth and sea.
b) Rainbow
i) On the angel's head there is a rainbow (Genesis 9:13) —a symbol (in this vision) of the gospel covenant of promise including the forgiveness of sins.
c) Feet of fire
i) The angel's feet were like pillars of fire, and he stood astride earth and sea (Revelation 10:1-2). This signifies the judgment of the whole world.
4. The Little Book
Revelation 10:2-4
a) Little book open
i) This is the main object of interest in the vision, and in this lesson we focus on its meaning. The book is open, to signify that it contains no mystery or secret. It is little, to signify that it relates to the short time granted to each sinner to repent. More is said later about this book.
b) Cries out
i) The angel shouts with a loud voice to prefigure the Lord's cry and the voice of the archangel at the second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16). It was like the roar of a lion (Revelation 10:3). The lion is a symbol of Christ the King of kings. This shout is followed by seven peals of thunder, a symbol of power and of the voice of God
c) Seal up
i) John is not permitted to write down what he hears the thunders say, so we are not permitted to know it yet (Revelation 10:4). This signifies that God's judgment is not yet finally spoken, and those who now stand condemned still have an opportunity to repent and be forgiven (Acts 3:19-21). You will recall that in the previous vision of the four killing angels, the deep tragedy was that those who were spared death "did not repent " (Revelation 9:20-21). God gives even the Jezebels of this world "space to repent" (Revelation 2:21). So God's judgment is not pronounced prematurely, rather he is "patient toward you, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However we should not rely upon this seal, nor test God's patience, but hasten to repent, for the time is near.
5. The Angel’s Oath
Revelation 10:5-7
a) Angel's oath
i) The angel swears by God that there will be delay no longer and the mystery of God will soon be finished (Revelation 10:5-7). The mystery spoken of here is the gospel preached to the prophets. It was a mystery then, but it now is manifest (Colossians 1:25-27). The swearing of an oath by the angel signifies the oath that God himself swore to confirm his promises (Hebrews 6:13-20).
6. John Eats The Book
Revelation 10:8-11
a) Eat the book
i) John is told to take the book that is open in the angel's hand. When he obeys, the angel tells him to eat the book. The angel said that the little book would taste sweet in his mouth, but become bitter in his stomach. And so it was (Revelation 10:8-10).
b) The little book
i) The book represents the sins of mankind, such as were listed in the previous vision (Revelation 9:20-21). Men commit sin because they seek the sweet taste of pleasure or satisfaction. However, as Moses understood, the pleasures of sin are but "passing pleasures" (Hebrews 11:24-26). The sweetness is a deception, and the real result of sin is bitterness. However, by God's grace, if sinners will believe and obey Jesus, and repent of sins, they can escape the ultimate bitterness of sin.
c) Many peoples
i) The angel reminds John that the message signified in the vision is applicable to every part of the world, to every generation, to people of every rank (Revelation 10:11). The angel anticipates the next vision, the vision of the two witnesses, before the seventh trumpet sounds.
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