While the emphasis is “the little book,” the first thing
John sees is the appearance of another strong angel. This is
important because the appearance and character of the angel
gives validity and significance to the little book and its
message. Some see this angel as the Lord Himself because of
the description given of the angel. He descends with a
cloud, his face is like the sun, and his feet are as pillars
of fire. Many have identified this angel as Michael. Others
try to connect him with the sixth angel, but it seems
apparent that he is neither. “Another” is the translation of
a Greek word that means “another of the same kind.” He is an
angelic being of the same kind, but different from the sixth
angel. He is very likely the same angel as in Revelation 5:2
and this angel is clearly not the Lord. Whoever he is he has
come down to earth from the presence of God and shows great
might and authority.
“Coming down from heaven” simply emphasizes his source and
his authority. In no other Scripture is Christ viewed as
coming down to earth before the end of the Tribulation. This
again suggests this is not Christ, but a mighty angel from
God’s presence.
“Clothed with a cloud,” is a symbol of divine intervention
and judgment (Daniel 7:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation
1:7; Exodus 24:15-18).
“And the rainbow was upon his head.” The rainbow appears as
a crown or perhaps a kind of halo. Since a rainbow is a sign
of God’s faithfulness to His word in Scripture, the rainbow
teaches that his appearance and the messages are a result of
God’s faithfulness to His covenants and mercy. God was here
in the process of fulfilling Old and New Testament promises.
“And his face was like the sun” stresses this glorious angel
was invested with divine glory and holiness to show us he
was acting in response to God’s holiness.
“And his feet like pillars of fire” emphasizes his stance as
firm, stable, immovable. “Fire” points to judgment and shows
that God is immovable in the outpouring of these judgments.
“And he had in his hand a little book which was open.” In
contrast to the seven-sealed book in Christ’s hand
(Revelation 5), this is a little book and it is open. It was
an open book that may indicate that it contained Old and New
Testament prophecies of the coming events, though the exact
contents of this little book are not revealed in this
chapter. The point is this book had been opened prior to
this chapter, unlike the seven-sealed book that had its
contents revealed gradually, seal by seal in the progression
of the book of Revelation.
“And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the
land.” Evidently, for emphasis, this is mentioned three
times in this chapter (10:2, 5, 8) and presents a picture of
total conquest of land and sea. It relates this angel and
the message of the little book to God’s purpose and promise
to take possession of the entire world as it will be carried
out in the final events of this momentous period of world
events.
“And he cried out with a loud voice as when a lion roars.”
The lion, known as the king of the beasts, often roars when
he has made a kill and takes possession of his prey. This
stresses strength, kingship, possession, and victory on
behalf of the Lord Jesus, the King of kings.
“And when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder
uttered their voices.” This occurs in answer to the
appearance and cry of the angel. As lightening appears and
flashes across the sky, and thunder follows, so now the
seven peals of thunder are heard following the appearance of
the mighty angel. The thunder answers the lion-like voice of
the angel. Note that the thunder and the voice of the angel
are not the same.
Thunder is a symbol of judgment but also of revelation. It
reminds us God has revealed Himself in history to man, first
in creation and then in various ways through special
revelation, through Scriptures and through the Son. The idea
is that thunderstorms are a reminder to man that he should
ascribe glory and strength to God and worship God as the
Creator King of this world. In Revelation 10, the thunder is
heard in a most electrifying message that John was both able
to hear and understand.
“Seal up … and do not write them.” The message was so
electrifying and astounding that John, as was his custom
with these visions, was about to write down what he heard,
but a voice out of heaven, perhaps the Lord Himself, forbids
this action. From the nature of the passage, or context,
this apparently deals with God’s judgments and purposes for
these things, but the details are sealed.
The angel John saw “lifted up his right hand to heaven and
swore by Him who lives forever and ever … that there will
delay no longer” (verses 5-6). With his feet firmly planted
on the sea and the land, the mighty angel takes the position
of oath taking, the raised right hand, in order to affirm
the plan and purposes of God to take possession of the earth
without further delay. The feet firmly planted add a
determined and emphatic note to this affirmation of what God
is going to do.
The basis of the oath is the person and work of God as the
eternal, self-existent God who created all things. It is
important for us who are living in these last days that we
understand the key philosophical issue of our time revolves
around these two issues, the existence of God and creation
versus secularism and evolution. Modern man derides both.
Instead of being the creation of a personal God who created
humanity for His own glory and purposes, man is the
impersonal result of time and chance.
“That there shall be delay no longer” is literally, “that
time no longer shall be.” Some see this as a declaration
that time will be no more. As “there will be no more sea”
(Revelation1:1), “no more death” (Revelation 21:4), and “no
more night” (Revelation 22:5), so there will be “no more
time” (Revelation 10:6). However, This is not saying that
time will be no more, but that time has run out, that there
will be no more time before God completes His purposes on
earth as the earth or world exists today. Verse 7 explains
this and makes the concept clear. With the sound of the
seventh trumpet, then the mystery of God will be finished,
there will be no more delay, time will have run out.
However, what is meant by the words, “the mystery of God is
finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets”?
Surely, the mystery of God is the answer to the age-old
question, why has God allowed Satan and evil to continue to
exist. The answer to this is found in Scripture. God
preached it to His prophets, they proclaimed it, and it is
now found in the Bible. This mystery is a truth about God
proclaimed by the prophets. It is a truth that involves two
key points, the truth concerning the conflict with Satan and
evil, and truth about the establishment of God’s kingdom
that will put an end to Satan and his activity.
This expression, “the mystery of God” seems to indicate all
those counsels and dealings of God made known by Him to and
through the Old Testament prophets, concerning His
governmental proceedings with men on earth looking always
toward the establishment of the kingdom in the hands of
Christ.
God has permitted Satan to infest the world with evil and
mar the work of God. This is the mystery of God. Is it that
He is indifferent to the wrong, indifferent to the sorrows
of His people? God permits evil until the hour of judgment
arrives, when He will avenge the cry of His people and
punish the wicked. The checks and restraints upon evil now
are unseen as to their source and only of partial
understood. However, this mystery of God is about to be
finished. God by His Son, the Heir of all things, will
remove Satan as the god and prince of the world, confine him
as a prisoner in the abyss for 1,000 years, finally casting
him into the lake of fire for eternity, and then rule and
reign in power and glory.
So when the angel of Revelation 10:7 says “time shall be no
more” he means that once the seventh trumpet is sounded,
this time of allowing Satan and rebellion to continue, will
be over; this period of the patience of God is over.
