Revelation 10 - What Do You Think The Seventh Angel's Message Would Be to the Church Today?

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The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

We left off in chapter 9 with the 200 million mounted troops who killed one third of all humankind. The others were left so that they might repent of their wickedness and turn to God. 

I saw still another mighty angel: Revelation 9 left off with the sounding of the sixth of seven trumpets, which ushered in the end of all things. Now, instead of the seventh trumpet, we have another interlude until Revelation 11:15. These interludes serve a dramatic purpose, but also show mercy in allowing more opportunity for repentance. It is as if God brought things to the brink, then pulled back a little to grant mankind more time to repent. (Guzik)

This angel's appearance was spectacular. This angel looks similar to Jesus, as described by John earlier in the book of Revelation. He was a gigantic angel who planted one foot on the sea and one on the land. His voice was as loud as seven roars of thunder. The thunders spoke in such a way that John understood their message, but a voice from heaven (presumably Jesus) told him to seal up what the thunders said and not write it down. I assume that meant to seal it up in his head. 

 A better identification is with the angel known as Michael because there are also similarities to this mighty angel and to Michael as he is described in Daniel 12:1 and 12:6-7. (Guzik)

Whoever his exact identity, “clearly this angel has come from the very presence of God” (Barclay), and he has great might and authority.

He has his feet on both land and sea “to show that he had the command of each, and that his power was universal, all things being under his feet.” (Clarke)

“This illustrates the principle that while God has revealed much, there are secrets which God has not seen fit to reveal to man at this time.” (Walvoord)

5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

We know now that the angel was not Jesus, as he raised his hand to heaven and swore by the One who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. His message was that there would be no more delay. The seventh angel would in the days ahead sound his trumpet and the mystery of God's will would be revealed and accomplished just as he had let his previous prophets know his will. I.e. Like Daniel who prophesied quite a bit about the end times. 

In this context, the mystery of God probably refers to the unfolding of His resolution of all things, the finishing of His plan of the ages. (Guzik)

God freely acknowledges that life today is full of mysteries; but it will not always be so. A day will come when all questions of this age will be answered. (Guzik)

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

Jesus then told John to take the scroll form the hand of the angel, who was standing on the sea and the land. The angel told John to eat the scroll. Though it would take as sweet as honey, it would quickly turn sour and burn in his stomach. John was told he needed to prophecy again about all peoples not just the Jews. 

This little book was initially sweet to the taste, but becomes bitter in John’s stomach. “Every revelation of God’s purposes… is ‘bitter-sweet,’ disclosing judgment as well as mercy.” (Swete)

“When he came to think upon it, it was either so mysterious that he could not comprehend it, or the matter of it was so sad that it gave him great trouble.” (Poole)

Whatever the content of the scroll, it is connected to John’s command to prophesy to all men. This is not a message just focused to the church.

What do you think the angel's message would be to the church today? Would it be sweet and sour? What do you think is the spiritual condition of the church as a whole? Your church?