"John Eates The Little Book" Series

WEEK 25

“John Eats the Little Book”

Date: January 22, 2003

Place: Allendale Baptist Church

Text: Revelation 10: 1-11

Introduction

Being off for several weeks let’s begin with verse 1 of chapter 10. We have come to a pause or a parenthesis between the 6th and the 7th trumpet.

* We have said that these interludes is God’s intentions to encourage and comfort His people in the midst of the fury and remind them of His sovereignty, that He remembers His people and that He will ultimately be victorious.

Verse 1

“Another mighty angel”

 This angel has brought great discussion among theologians for years.

 Some say this to be Jesus Christ.

 It is true that in the OT the preincarnate Christ was seen as the “Angel of the Lord”.

 But after He took on for Himself the nature of humanity, after He died on the cross, after He rose and ascended into heaven, He has taken His rightful place of great power and glory at God’s right hand.

 We must remember that Jesus was not or never an angel, He is fully God and took on the appearance of man.

 We must also keep in mind that this book of Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

 We see new glories of His person, of His power and of His performance.

 He is now judging a Christ-rejecting world.

 The evidence that this is not speaking of Jesus is the use of the word and adjective “another”, which means one of the same kind.

 It could be the clothing that has caused some to identify this angel with Jesus.

“Clothed with a cloud”

 This array of clothing shows us that this angel is a diplomatic representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Remember that angels announced His first coming and will again announce His second coming to earth.

“And a rainbow was on his head”

 This is his cap and seems to be a reminder of God’s covenant with man.

 God will always protect His own.

“And his face was like the sun”

 This speaks of this angel’s identification with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 I believe the angel’s face is shining because he has come out of the presence of the Lord.

 Remember when Moses came down from the mountain after meeting with God, his face was said to shine.

“And his feet like pillars of fire”

 This speaks of the judgment which will come.

Verse 2

“A little book”

 I believe this to be the seven-sealed book which we have seen before.

 We noticed back in chapter 5:1, a little book or scroll which could only be opened by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

 We said that that book or scroll was the title deed to the earth.

 This is the only book that has been put before us and is not identified any other way.

Notice also…

“And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land”

 Although Satan has temporarily taken possession of the sea and the earth, this symbolic act shows that all of creation still belongs to the Lord and He rules it with sovereign authority.

 This angel now claims the earth and sea for the Lord Jesus.

 When explorers land on uncharted land they would place their nation’s flag as a symbol or ownership.

Verse 3

“And cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars.”

 The angel cries out for all to hear of God’s ownership.

“Seven thunders uttered their voices”

 Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, “These seven thunders is God’s amen to the angel’s claim.”

 Psalm 29:3 says; “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The Go of glory thunders. The Lord is over many waters.”

 Job 37: 5 says; “God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot understand.”

 I have heard some speak of God’s voice as a still small voice.

 That is true sometimes God whispers to our spirit, but I have sometimes seen in my own life how God shouts to us.

Verse 4

“Seal up”

 John was about to write down what ever God had spoken, but was told he must conceal the message of the 7 thunders until God’s time.

 Some have tried to translate what was spoken.

 We need to be reminded that there are many things God is not telling us. This seems to be one.

Verse 5 & 6

“Raised up his hand to the heaven” and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer.”