Bible Commentaries
Revelation 10

Verse 1

Chapter 10 - The seven thunders are heard

There is still one woe left and it contains the seven vial judgments. We will be told about that later but before that happens an angel takes possession of Earth in the name of the Lord and then John is given additional background information on the events that John saw and heard.

1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Just after the blowing of the sixth trumpet that unleashed an army that kills one third of the men on the earth, John sees a mighty angel come down from heaven. His face was as the sun and his feet as pillars of fire. This is not Jesus as some claim - this becomes quite clear in Revelation 10:6.

Verse 2

2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

The little book has more information about end time prophetic events. The angel puts one foot on the sea and the other on the land. This could mean the angel is proclaiming control over all the gentile nations (the sea) as well as the land of Israel. The angel apparently is claiming authority over the whole earth in the name of Jesus.

Verses 3-4

3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

The angel speaks and gives seven thunders that John was told to seal up and not to write. Since the thunders are not told and are sealed it is not for the Church to know at this time. The seven thunders are proclamations of some sort that tell the world the truth about the deception they were under but there is no use speculating about what we cannot know. Those who claim to know the messages of the thunders are simply self-deceived.

Verses 5-6

5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Since this angel swears by Him that created heaven it is certain that this angel is not the one who created it; therefore the angel is not Jesus.

Some think because it says in the King James that there should be time no longer that it means that time will now cease. What the Greek actually implies is that there will be no more delay. The final wrath of God will now be poured out against all the enemies of God and it is now time for the Kingdom of God to come to earth.

Verse 7

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

When the seventh angel begins to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God about His plan to restore the Jewish Kingdom under Jesus will be known to all. This statement makes it very clear that God foretold that these events would occur when He spoke them to His prophets. These prophecies are mainly found in the major and minor prophetic books of the Old Testament and the book of Psalms. Those who come against Jerusalem will not be totally deceived because the truth was given to them in the thunders. They will come against the God of Israel because they want to believe a lie and do not want Jesus to rule the earth.

Verses 8-11

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

John is told to eat the little book. In eating the book, John will digest the information within and tell us a great deal more about these end time events from different perspectives.

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