Revelation 10:1-4
The Last Warning
Chapter 9 recorded the sixth trumpet sounding, also called the second
woe \\#Rev 8:13\\. The judgment began at \\#Rev 9:13\\ and goes
through \\#Rev 11:14\\. The actual judgment begins with four angels
being loosed out of the Euphrates River. Apparently these demons
brought with them an army of 200 million soldiers, and together, they
slay 1/3 of the world’s population through what appears to be a very
tortuous death. It is my belief that the events of the sixth trumpet
take us into the last half of the tribulation.
Now as either an after-effect or a co-effect of that judgment,
another mighty angel descends from the heavens and turns our
attention away from earth to heaven, much like \\#Rev 8:1-6\\ did.
Our attention will remain in the heavens throughout much of the
remainder of this trumpet.
We will divide the chapter into three thoughts:
I. \\#Rev 10:1-2\\ Person
Rev 10:1 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:
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,
A. The chapter introduces us to another mighty angel.
1. Notice the angel is LARGE and LOUD.
a. \\#2\\ How large? One foot is planted in the sea, the
other on land. Standing on the beach, you and I
could also do that, but not while still being in the
heavens.
b. \\#3\\ How loud? His voice sounds like the roaring of
a lion.
2. The image is that this angel is powerful and larger than
life.
3. God is making an announcement through this angel that all
the world needs to hear.
B. The angel is described and at first, one might conclude
that the angel is Christ.
1. Clothed with a cloud, which speaks of power, majesty,
and Jesus’ coming.
Rev 10:1 …come down from heaven, clothed
with a cloud…
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all
the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory.
2. He had a rainbow about his head.
Rev 10:1 …and a rainbow was upon his head…
Rev 4:3 …and there was a rainbow round about
the throne, in sight like an emerald.
a. The rainbow is a symbol of God’s mercy and
faithfulness.
b. The rainbow would indicate that one of the angel’s
purposes is to show mercy to the world.
(1) Someone asks, "How can he do that and release
judgment?"
(2) God’s revealing of the angel BEFORE he even
comes IS an act of mercy.
(3) You and I are getting an opportunity to hear the
last warning before it is THE LAST WARNING.
3. His face was as bright as the sun, meaning that he was
very glorious.
Rev 10:1 …and his face was as it were the
sun…
Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them:
and his face did shine as the sun…
4. His feet were like pillars of fire. This is a picture
of judgment and reminds of Christ’s description.
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as
if they burned in a furnace….
C. Despite the similarities, I do not think this is Christ
for several reasons.
1. \\#Rev 10:1\\ "ANOTHER mighty angel"
a. I have no problem with Jesus being referred to as an
"angel."
(1) Angel simply means "messenger" and does not have
to be a uniquely created heavenly being.
(2) Jesus has surely delivered some important
messages to mankind.
b. Neither do I have a problem with the word "might."
Although it is was a reference to Jesus, it should
read "All Mighty."
c. The word I have a problem with is "another."
(1) The word means another of the same kind.
(2) Jesus is never "another."
(3) He is God and is a One and Only.
2. \\#Rev 10:2\\ The angel puts his foot on the earth.
a. It is my belief that Jesus, after receiving His
bride, will not return to the earth until He comes
WITH His bride.
b. Acts one tells us Jesus left from the Mount of Olives
and Zechariah 14 tells us that is where Jesus will
return to put His feet again; however, that will not
be until Revelation 19.
3. \\#Rev 10:6\\ The vow that the angel makes.
a. The angel swears "by him that liveth forever and
ever."
b. That is the eternal God, the Creator.
c. If this is the Lord, He would not need to invoke the
name of God for He is God.
D. I think that this is one of God’s most powerful angels.
1. Satan is bringing out his powerful army.
2. God brings out His.
3. One thing is for certain, the angel represents God and He
has a work to do and a message to deliver.
E. As with the angel that announced the three woes in the midst
of heaven \\#Rev 8:13\\, we do not know if this angel will be
visible or not.
1. I have no problem with him being visible; but even so,
that does not mean that the world would see him. Perhaps
only those in heaven will.
2. If the lost on earth does NOT see him, the saved on earth
can still know what is going on.
3. Christians are often given information so that we can see
the cause/effect relationship.
II. \\#Rev 10:3-4\\ Power
Rev 10:3 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.
A. There is power in this angel’s presence, actions, and promise;
but there is also much mystery.
B. The Mystery of the Judgments
1. \\#2\\ There is a book but we don’t know what is written
in it.
a. The angel carries another "little book."
b. The word used here is very similar to the word used
for the scroll taken from the hand of the One who
sat upon the throne \\#Rev 5:1\\, but it is
different.
c. It seems to denote a smaller book, hence the
adjective, "little" in front of it.
d. The fact that the book is at all similar to the
scroll of Revelation 5 indicates that it is likely a
book of judgment, but we do not know that for
certain.
e. There is another hint concerning the book that I will
share in a moment, but for now, let’s continue
noting the mysteries.
2. \\#3\\ The angel cries but we don’t know what he says.
a. The word "cries" does not mean to sob.
(1) It is more like the town crier.
(2) The idea is that this angel has an important
message but we are never told what he says.
b. It could be that he is crying out the promise
recorded in \\#6-7\\.
c. However, the order of the verses seem to indicate that
the angel has two things to say:
(1) He first delivers An unknown message…
(2) …seven thunders thunder…
(3) THEN the promise is made.
d. If that is so, we have a missing message and a
mystery.
3. \\#3-4\\ Seven thunders thunder but we do not know what
happens.
a. Something happens and John was going to record it,
but he is stopped from doing so.
b. There are seven thunders and so far, seven has not
been earth’s lucky number:
(1) seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials.
(2) There is really no reason to think anything
has changed when it comes to the seven
thunders.
(3) Especially if what I think is true is actually
true.
(1) In this time period, things do not go from
bad to better but from bad to worse.
(2) In this time period, things do not go from
less mercy to more mercy but from less
mercy to even less mercy.
C. \\#8-10\\ The Effect of the Judgments
1. We do not actually know what was written in the book,
what was cried by the angel, or what happened with the
thunder; but I believe God used John to show us the
effect they had.
2. The effect of eating the book will be the effect of the
this angel’s message and the thunders.
a. At first it was sweet.
b. But after time, it became bitter.
3. Many think this is a general reference to the judgments
of God.
a. Well, it could be; but what judgments released so
far could we describe as being "sweet in the
beginning"?
(1) We have a famine that won’t stop.
(2) We have an earthquake that moved every mountain
and island.
(3) We have objects falling for the sky.
(4) We have the sun and moon doing strange things.
(5) We have scorpion/locust like creatures stinging
people with pain so bad that they want to die.
(6) We have an army of 200 million some things
killing 1/3 of the earth’s population.
b. While I agree that the seven thunders are judgments,
I don’t see anything about the other judgments of
God that start sweet.
c. These seven thunders, although they are judgments,
will seem good at the being.
d. When they happen, people will say, "About time,"
"Wonderful! This is just what we needed," "Why did
it take so long?"
4. I believe these seven thunders are seven actions from the
anti-Christ.
a. We are about at the middle of the Tribulation.
b. That is when the anti-Christ will reach the height of
his popularity and power.
(1) He works the first 3 1/2 years getting to his
height.
(2) He will work the last 3 1/2 years trying to hold
it all together.
c. But at the mid-point, he is so confident that he tries
to trick the Jews into worshipping him.
d. Now, as the world is in shambles, the anti-Christ
will do seven things that the world will first
applaud and then regret.
e. We do not know what they will be; but unlike the
other judgments, to the lost world, these will be
sweet like honey at the first, and will become
bitter in their belly in time.
D. A thought:
1. Don’t sell the security of your tomorrows for the safety
of today.
2. We have seen unprecedented power grabs by all sectors of
the government
a. The Supreme Court rules on Friday that the government
can tell the church when, where, and if a church can
meet together.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-
challenge-coronavirus-limits-church-services-n1219336
b. Of course, it is all for the safety of those who might
attend.
c. In the ruling, they said church worship was no
different from any other group meeting, like athletic
events and concerts.
d. And most of America applauds it.
e. It seems sweet to them now, but it is another illegal
ruling from the Supreme Court, like removing God from
public view and killing innocent unborn babies.
f. Most Americans are too blind to see what is happening,
but there will come a day when their stomach will
become bitter.
3. Every day, we are seeing how the Bible is and will be
fulfilled.
4. Hold on, children. The ride is going to get even bumpier
still.
III. \\#Rev 10:5-7\\ Promise
Rev 10:5 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:
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.
A. \\#5\\ The angel will raise his hand and vow by the eternal
God that created all things that two things are about to
happen.
1. \\#6\\ That creation is about to cease.
2. \\#7\\ That all the mystery of God will be completed
during the seventh trumpet.
B. Notice that the angel swears by God.
1. Jesus told us NOT to do that because we are powerless to
accomplish our promises.
2. That must mean this angel is NOT powerless.
3. He will speak for God, and God is backing his promise.
C. \\#Rev 10:6\\ The angel says that creation is almost over. Why
is this angel speaking about time?
1. First, we know from the Bible that time is not about to end
at the middle of the Tribulation.
a. Even after the Tribulation is ended, there is a 1,000
reign of Jesus on a renovated earth, Satan will be
loosed for a season, and there will be one more
really big battle at Jerusalem.
b. What does this mean?
2. I believe God was saying that the earth like we know it
is about to end.
a. A world with the devil running loose.
b. A world with mankind running loose.
c. A world with sin running loose.
3. God is about to but a bridle on the devil, man, and sin
by taking the world into the millennial reign of Christ..
4. Why bring this up now?
a. Because we are at the mid-point of the Tribulation.
b. The sixth trumpet might have bled over into the last
half of the Tribulation, but the seventh trumpet
definitely takes us across that middle of the
Tribulation.
c. Remember, the seventh seal unleashes the seven
trumpets and the seventh trumpet unleashes the seven
vials so that, by the time the seventh trumpet’s
judgments are complete, we will be at the Battles of
Armageddon and Jerusalem, Jesus will have returned,
Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit, and a
new world order will have begun.
D. \\#Rev 10:7\\ The angel is promising the conclusion of all
mysteries during the events of the seventh angel’s
trumpet.
1. There are many mysteries in the Bible. In fact, the whole
Bible is a mystery.
a. Paul called the church a mystery.
b. Jesus revealed that the incarnation was a mystery.
(1) In Matt 22, the religious leaders wanted to trap
Jesus so they asked Him some tricky questions.
(a) Paying tribute
(b) Whose wife will she be in the resurrection
(c) What is the greatest commandment
(2) They Jesus asked them one about David.
(a) Essentially, He asked how could David’s son
also be His Lord?
(b) They could not answer the question and did
not ask Him anymore questions.
(c) The answer lay in the incarnation: God was
going to put on flesh and be born into
David’s line!
2. The closer to the end of time, the more we THINK we
understand the mysteries of the Bible.
3. By the time the final judgment of the seventh trumpet is
finished, there will be no more mysteries.
4. They will all be understood: every promise, every
prophecy, every passage of the Bible.
This is God’s last warning. The angel was saying, "Time HAS RUN
out."
Prophecy is a like a railroad car on the top of the world’s highest
mountain. There is only one track it can run and only one direction
it can go. At the bottom, the tracks end abruptly, plunging the
railroad car off the mountain into a huge canyon below. That car has
been turned loosed. There is an inevitable end.
The only thing that can stop that railroad car is a revival. A
powerful revival might even push the railroad car back up the
mountain a bit, but nothing can take it off the tracks or stop it
from being loosed again.
What God has done is to warn us. Time is limited. Don’t waste what
may be your last opportunities to trust Christ.
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