.jpg)
Verse by Verse Bible Study Podcast with Randy Duncan
Bible study podcast that takes you through a book of the Bible verse by verse. This is not your typical life-lesson Bible study! If you are interested in a deeper-dive Bible study, this is an excellent option!
Verse by Verse Bible Study Podcast with Randy Duncan
Revelation 10 | The Angel & The Little Scroll
We walk through Revelation 10: the mighty angel, the little scroll, the seven thunders sealed, and the oath that there will be no more delay. We weigh whether the angel is Christ, why some revelation is withheld, and why God’s word tastes sweet and bitter at once.
• administrative update and how to contact us
• recap of trumpets five and six and their symbolism
• the mighty angel’s imagery and global authority
• the little scroll debate and prophetic purpose
• seven thunders sealed and reasons for restraint
• is the angel Christ or a representative messenger
• oath of no more delay and the fulfilled mystery
• eating the scroll, sweetness and bitterness of truth
• global scope of the prophecy and faithful witness
• prayer, endurance, and sharing the word despite opposition
Pray for the podcast, that it might reach people who need to hear the truth of the gospel, and that God would then work in their lives to bring them to a saving faith in Christ. Share the podcast with people you think could benefit or might be helped by this type of a study.
This channel does a deep dive into the scriptures so as to teach what it means to be...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Well as always thank you for joining me in this verse by verse Bible study. I'm Randy Duncan and we're going to be tackling Revelation chapter 10. But before we jump in, I wanted to cover a couple administrative items. This is my 75th episode, and I've never done this before because I don't want you to have to listen to a lot of small talk and yuck-yuck in each episode. Your time is valuable, and I basically want listeners to click on the podcast and get right into the study. Having said that, I wanted to address a couple of items because it's related to listener comments, and I chose this chapter to do it on because it's a relatively short chapter. So first, if you've sent in any comments or questions via the Buzz Sprout fan mail, I have read every one of them. Unfortunately, that system doesn't allow me to reply, and it doesn't capture your phone number or your email address, and so I can't respond directly that way either. And so I have disabled that functionality. And I just want everyone who has communicated via that application to know that I appreciate all of the comments and the questions and the encouragement. Second thing, if you have any questions or comments, you can always go to my website at randyduncan.com and simply click on the contact tab. Or you can just email me directly. My email address doesn't get any easier. It's randy at randyduncan.com. I personally respond to all direct emails or comments that are submitted through my website. If you've taken the time to listen and to spend time reaching out to me, I'm going to honor that and personally respond. And I've received many really good questions from around the world and also lots of encouragement and support, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you. And the last thing before we get started here, I've received many questions about how listeners can support the podcast. And most people would think that money is the biggest need, and sure, if you want to donate, it would help. Just go to my website at randyduncan.com, click on the donate tab. But honestly, that's not my biggest need. Above all else, and most importantly, you can support me in prayer. Pray for the podcast, that it might reach people who need to hear the truth of the gospel, and that God would then work in their lives to bring them to a saving faith in Christ. And secondly, simply share the podcast with people you think could benefit or might be helped by this type of a study. And so those are the two biggest things listeners can do to support the podcast. Pray and share. And so with that out of the way, let's start the same way I've started the previous 74 episodes by jumping right into the study. And again, we're covering chapter 10, but as a brief recap of chapter 9, remember, we discussed trumpets 5 and 6 and the judgments that followed, which unleashed this terrifying demonic locust and a massive army, which symbolize God's escalating judgments on unrepentant humanity. And we highlighted the symbolic nature of the apocalyptic imagery like a star falling from heaven and locust with scorpion like power. And we emphasize their spiritual significance as demonic forces rather than literal creatures. And finally, remember, despite the devastating plagues that kill a third of mankind, the sobering reality is that survivors refuse to repent, continuing in idolatry and sin. Which brings us now to chapter ten. Now again, this is a short chapter with only eleven verses, and we begin with the first three verses which read Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand, and he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring, and when he called out the seventh thunder sounded. And so if you remember, between the sixth and seventh seals, we had a sort of a pause or an interlude, and here, after we saw the sixth trumpet in the last chapter, you would expect that the seventh trumpet would follow immediately. But just like the sixth and seventh seals, we're going to see here a similar pause or that interval before the seventh trumpet. But John sees a mighty angel come down from heaven, and the angel is wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over his head. Now being wrapped or robed in a pillar of cloud represents God's presence. And we saw that back in Exodus 13, where in the wilderness the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way. And of course at night it was a pillar of fire. But it also says that there was a rainbow above the angel's head, reminding us of the rainbow surrounding God's throne that we discussed back in chapter four. His face was like the sun, just as the face of Jesus, the Son of Man, shines like the sun as well, which again we saw back in chapter one. And finally, speaking to the angel still, his legs were like pillars of fire, which again reminds us of God's glory manifesting as pillar of fire, leading the Israelites in the wilderness by night. And so after the description of the angel in verse one, we now come to the matter at hand, which is what he carried with him. And we're told that he had a little scroll open in his hand. Now scholars have differing views on this little scroll. Some believe it's the same scroll that we saw back in chapters five through eight. Some argue that the breaking of the seals doesn't disclose the contents of the scroll, since what is sealed can't be disclosed until all the seals are broken. And so they argue that here in chapter 10, this is the place where the contents of the scroll are revealed since the scroll is now open in the angel's hand. However, it's interesting that John uses a different word for the scroll here than he did in chapter 5. John uses the Greek word for scroll, biblion, around 20 times. But here he uses the word Bibloridion. So if John wanted to make a clear connection with this scroll and the scroll in chapter 5, it would have been much easier to just use the same word. Another argument against these two scrolls being the same is that some people may just simply be taking the earlier breaking of the seven seals too literally, meaning they read it as if all the seals need to be broken before any of the contents of the scroll can be read. But from reading scripture and what we've seen so far, it doesn't appear like any of the contents of the seals are delayed until all the seals are open. I mean we saw increasing judgment as each seal was open, and John told us that the seals were opened one by one, and the judgments that followed, they're most naturally understood as the content of that seal. But whichever view one takes of the scroll or this little book here, the main point seems to be that it's still a proclamation of prophecy. The angel is relaying to John what is to come. So the mentioning of the little scroll was the first half of verse two, but the second half says, And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, representing sovereign rule over all. Because having something or someone under your feet, it symbolizes rule and dominion. But the angel also called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring, and when he called out, the seven thunder sounded. Now, just as with several things in Revelation, here there are also differing views on what the seven thunders represent. However, in many instances, thunder is associated with God's judgment. For example, God thundered when he rained down hell upon Egypt, and on Mount Sinai, thunder communicated God's holiness. And we also see that thunder signifies God's greatness and holiness as a raging thunderstorm in his throne room, and the seals, which unleashed God's judgment on the world, begin with a thunderous voice, and the seven trumpets also begin with a thunderstorm. And so we have quite a bit of evidence that the thunder represents God's holiness and his judgment on the world. And also notice that it's seven thunders that sounded. And as we've discussed before, seven is the number of completeness and perfection. And so what we see here is these seven thunders most likely represent the fullness of God's complete judgment on the world. Now before we move on, I want to mention that there are some people who think that this angel with the little scroll is Jesus Christ Himself. And so why do they think that? Well, we just went through a description of the angel. And a reference to Christ is supported by the cloud that represents God's presence. We also mention the rainbow, which reminds us of the rainbow around God's throne room mentioned in Revelation chapter 4, as well as Ezekiel 128, where a brilliant light like a rainbow shone all around God. Furthermore, this angel roars like a lion, and Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. The angel also holds a scroll, and remember, after being the only one found worthy to open the scroll, Jesus took the scroll from God back in chapter five. And then lastly, the angel's feet are on both the sea and the land, which again signifies sovereign rule over the world, which of course aligns with what we know about Christ. Now these are interesting arguments. However, others argue that even though those points are valid, it's still not likely that this angel is Christ. And here's why. First, as we mentioned in chapter 1, John uses the word angel sixty-seven times, and the word never refers to Jesus or God. And so it doesn't seem very likely that he would deviate from that usage in this one particular verse. Also, the angel that's described in Daniel 10 has many of the same qualities as the Son of Man in Revelation chapter 1, but it's apparent that that angel is not Christ. But another reason for not believing this is Jesus is that this angel swears by God, something that would seem a little inappropriate for Jesus to do. And so the swearing by God gives us a clue that this angel, despite his glorious presence, should be distinguished from Jesus. And some people also point out that the similarities between angels and Jesus are understandable because there's only so many ways we as humans have to describe heavenly beings. And so some of those metaphors are going to start to overlap. And it may be that the angel is similar to Jesus because he represents Jesus. I mean the purpose of angels is to bring the message and to represent the one who sent them. This angel represents Christ as his messenger. And it's interesting. That's the purpose of angels. But what about Christians? Is it also our job to represent and be a reflection of Christ to the world? And for some reason that reminds me of one of the Ten Commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Now most people immediately associate that with cursing, saying GD or something like that. But I think it's more. I think it has to do with ambassadorship. If you take on the name of Christ, then you better represent him faithfully to the world. Do not take his name in vain. And so it seems to transcend just this casual profanity and assuming that this commandment is referring to cursing, it may represent a shallow, modern misinterpretation. In its original Hebrew context, that phrase meaning take in vain Nasala Shav, it implies a deeper misuse than that, which is treating God's sacred name as empty or worthless. And so getting back to the point of angels representing God and our call to do the same, this is about more than simply avoiding vulgar language. This is a command for reverence. If you're going to claim the name of Jesus Christ, if you're going to fly his banner, then you better represent him faithfully. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. But getting back to the text here, after John hears the seven thunders, he's about to write down what he sees next, but we read in verse four, and when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, Sill up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down. So John is about to write down the contents of the seven thunders, but he's instructed to not write it down, to seal it up. And this is exactly the opposite of what we see at the end of Revelation, where John is told to not seal up the prophecy given to him, but to write it down. And this reminds us of the prophet Daniel, who was instructed in Daniel 8 and 12 to seal up the visions he was given, because they applied to a much future date and the end times. But here in the apocalypse, it's different than Daniel being told to seal up the prophecy because we're already at the end times. And so, unlike Daniel, this is a bit strange to read and try to understand why. I mean, what's the significance of the sealing of the seven thunders? I mean, this is where we wish John would have just told us why. Hey guys, sorry I can't share this piece, but trust me, it's pretty cool. But since he didn't, there are of course differing opinions and thoughts. Some people will argue that it means that the judgment from God has been withdrawn because they don't provoke people to repent. In other words, the judgments don't bring about the desired outcome, which is repentance. Now, even though most commentators agree that figuring out the meaning of the seven thunders is difficult, it seems that the idea that judgment is withdrawn is just not satisfying. It doesn't line up with all of the judgments that we've seen so far and the judgments that are still to come. Furthermore, the word sealed, it doesn't mean withdrawn, but delayed fulfillment, or to hiding what will take place in the future. And there are others who argue that the seven thunders are for John what the things that Paul saw in the third heaven were for him. Paul says that he heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. And so it may suggest that there are dimensions of reality that mortals are not able to fully comprehend or understand. Others argue that this implies that God will reveal further details through John and the two witnesses, which we're going to see in the next chapter, and through God's people who will face a hostile world. And still others argue that the seven thunders remain a mystery and should teach us that the hidden things belong to God, and that He knows way more about the future than He actually tells us. Deuteronomy 29 tells us the secret things belong to the Lord our God. And so it seems reasonable to conclude that some of the judgments are sealed and hidden, but they will still come. They're not withdrawn. God just doesn't disclose the full details of what will happen in the future. Some of them will remain sealed until the day they become a reality. And maybe God has set some sort of a boundary on what it's best for us to know. Maybe God's letting us know that despite us thinking that we've got it all figured out, that we know all the things that are going to happen in the future and the order that everything's going to happen because we attended a prophecy conference, that there are some details that he's kept hidden until the appropriate time. And so we should be humble when we're speculating about things like the end times or anything about which we cannot be certain. And we should definitely avoid holding a really dogmatic position on them. And there may be a lesson in the Seven Thunders here for all the prophecy teachers. God alone rules the future. And we don't have to know every single detail. It might do us some good to understand what we can, continue studying, continue learning, and then simply trust God with the things that we don't yet know. But John continues with verses five through seven where he says, And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God could be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. And so the angel lifts his right hand and he swears an oath, and that oath pertains to the final judgment. In Deuteronomy thirty two, God also swears an oath when he said, See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no God beside me. I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, as I live forever, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. In Daniel, an angel also swears an oath by the living God, raising his hands toward heaven and prophesying that the end will arrive after a time, times, and half a time, which is most often interpreted as being three and a half years. But this reference to Daniel is important because of the sealing that is spoken of there related to the final judgment, to the day when God will judge the world. And so this swearing of an oath, it was a way of certifying the truthfulness of what was said. These are not idle or thoughtless words, and so we can be assured that what the angel says will come true. And what does he say? In verse six he tells us that there will be no more time, no more delay. He literally says that time will be no longer. History as we know it is ending, and the beginning of the end will start at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. In verse seven, the angel tells us that when the seventh trumpet sounds, there will be no more delay, and that the mystery of God will be revealed. Now back in chapter one we saw that a mystery typically refers to something previously hidden that is now revealed. And the mystery here is the whole plan and purpose of God. Now many of God's mysteries have already been disclosed in Jesus Christ, and believers can be assured that evil does not ultimately reign in the world. Evil doesn't ultimately win. All of God's plans, his decrees, his design will be accomplished, just as he announced to his prophets, and the completion of the mystery will also mean that the seven thunders will no longer remain a secret. All will be revealed. But we continue now with the last four verses, which is a little more than I usually read at one time, but honestly there's just not a good break point here. And so John continues in verses eight through eleven saying, Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. And so I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me, Take and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter, and I was told, You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings. And so the same voice that John hears who tells him to seal up and not write about the seven thunders speaks to John again from heaven. John is instructed to take the open scroll that the angel's holding. And by taking the scroll, John is accepting this prophetic mission and will deliver God's message. But if John thought he was just going to take the scroll and read what was inside, he's mistaken. Because the angel instructs John to eat the scroll, which again means that he will accept and ingest this message that's given to him. And it may be a figurative way of telling John that he is to read it, to learn it, and inwardly ingest it to prepare for what God has commissioned him to do. Even in our modern vernacular, we talk about devouring a book. And just as the angel told him it would, John said that when he ate the scroll, it tasted as sweet as honey in his mouth, but made his stomach bitter. He became nauseated. As John begins to truly digest and understand what's in store, especially for those who reject God, he became nauseated at the thought of what was to come. And all of us have probably at some point in our lives become nauseated at something that we've seen, something that we've heard, some bad news or something like that that we've received. Well just imagine how John feels here. If you're familiar with the prophet Ezekiel in the Old Testament, he had the same experience. When he was commissioned as a prophet by God, he too had to eat the scroll God gave him. And just like we see with John, when Ezekiel ate the scroll, it was as sweet as honey in his mouth, but the contents of the scroll were words of mourning and lamentations and woe. And so just like Ezekiel, John's eating of the scroll indicates that he is a prophet of God, accepting and declaring the word of the Lord. It's interesting that David wrote in Psalm 119, How sweet your word is to my taste, sweeter than honey in my mouth. And not only David, but Jeremiah, who said in Jeremiah 15, Your words were found and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart. And what Jeremiah said was particularly interesting because the words that Jeremiah was referring to were words of judgment. And with John here, we see the same thing. The scroll made John's belly bitter because the scroll contains words of judgment. And so we see this parallel with Ezekiel and John because both scrolls promise judgment. And so the word is sweet because it's the word of God, but bitter because it brings judgment. In verse eleven, John is told that you must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings, and eating the scroll symbolizes internalizing its contents and the one who eats can then prophesy. Ezekiel was to prophesy to the house of Israel. John is to prophesy to many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. John will prophesy to the whole world. The message of Revelation concerns all people. Nobody is exempt from its warning, because judgment is coming to all people. And so we should follow John's example here. We too should ingest God's word, and we need to obey and proclaim God's word even when the message proves to be bitter, even when there may be a price to pay. And it's increasingly more and more difficult to do that in our world. Even in some church circles, for example, those who maybe emphasize a prosperity gospel are conditioning their listeners to only expect pleasant things from God. But God never promised us that. In fact, Jesus warned us, if the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. A servant is not greater than his master, if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. And if you remember back in chapter two, Jesus told the church in Smyrna, do not fear what you are about to suffer. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. And here in Revelation, the angel tells John, There will be no more delay. And so it should remind us that though we have to wait right now, a time is coming when God will fulfill all of his promises. And so I pray you let this hope and assurance stir you to be faithful until then. Hold on to his word, because God's timing is perfect. And as we await the fulfillment of God's promises, let's embrace the call to share his word when it's sweet and even when it brings the bitterness of judgment or opposition, and trust that our witness will shine bright in a world that seems to be growing darker and darker, and is in desperate need of his truth. And my prayer for you is that you stand firm, stay strong until the day when, as the angel told John, there will be no more delay.
