Bethel Baptist Church of Tillamook, OR
November 1, 2026
  • I Will Sing The Wondrous Story
  • Here Is Love Vast As The Ocean
  • At The Cross

  • 1. Majestic Messenger of Mystery, 10:1-4.

    v. 1 - John’s vision perspective changes from being an observer to being center stage. His location has moved from heaven to earth. The literary style used here heightens anticipation and accentuates the solemnity of what is to come.
    What does John now see?
    This is another (different) strong angel who is unnamed.
    He is seen “coming down out of heaven” as a messenger of God.
    He is “clothed with a heavenly cloud” emphasizing his heavenly origin.
    “The rainbow upon his head” is symbolic of God’s faithfulness and mercy.
    “His face was like the sun,” reflecting the glory and majesty of God.
    “His feet like pillars of fire,” recalls a similar pillar of fire, a manifestation of God’s holiness, mercy, and judgment.
    v. 2 - The last thing that John sees regarding this angel is that “he has in his hand a little book (scroll) which was opened (present passive Gk, previously been opened). Two major views of what this scroll is:
    the same scroll of Chapter 5-6, were the seals of the scroll were broken by the worthy Lamb.
    This is new revelation that has come from God through His messenger.
    This angel “placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,” a picture of the God -given authority that he possesses to bear a message for the whole world.
    v. 3 - The angel cries out with a voice describe like the roaring of a lion. When he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. Thunder usually warns of coming storms; this pictures more threatening judgment. Most unusually, apparently their voices were understood by John...
    v. 4 - John, as the recipient of the spoken word, was about to write what he had heard, “and [John] heard a voice from heaven;” probably either that of God or Christ.
    John was told to “seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” What John had heard he was to not share with anyone else and not to record it for others to read.
    Daniel 12:4 records a similar experience that Daniel experienced.
    Daniel 12:4 NASB95
    “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
    Paul likewise had an experience that he could not share, 2 Cor 12:1-4
    2 Corinthians 12:1–4 NASB95
    Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
    Point: God has not revealed all the judgments that will take place during the Great Tribulation. What He has revealed is more than enough.

    2. Suspenseful Seal of Sovereignty, 10:5-7.

    v. 5 - John describes the next actions of the angel. He sees the angel, who lifted his right hand to heaven (then the scroll would be in his left hand), a picture of oath-taking. By doing this the angel is demonstrating that he is not God nor Christ, but appealing to a higher authority. Oath-taking is seen in the OT. Here are two examples: Deut 32:40
    Deuteronomy 32:40 NASB95
    ‘Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven, And say, as I live forever,
    Who is swearing an oath? It is the LORD Himself, the one who lives forever.
    Another is Daniel 12:7
    Daniel 12:7 NASB95
    I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.
    This is possibly the Angel of the LORD, the preincarnate Christ.
    v. 6 - The angel swore by Him who lives forever and ever; this emphasizes the truthfulness and inevitability of what he announced. His appeal is to the Creator who can cause whatever He pleases to happen, alluding to Exodus 20:11
    Exodus 20:11 NASB95
    “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
    And the angel’s declaration? “There will be delay no longer,” i.e. no more delay in the outpouring of God’s wrath. Implied in this is that God will no longer give people extra time to repent.
    There will be no delay between this announcement and the seventh trumpet judgment. The Tribulation saints will wait no longer for vindication.
    This is because, though the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments take time to unfold, but when the bowl judgments start, they will come very quickly in succession, allowing little to no time for repentance. Here’s is Peter’s take, 2 Peter 3:1-9
    2 Peter 3:1–9 NASB95
    This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
    The angel makes a second declaration; namely, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished. Previously unrevealed details of God’s plans for humanity are about to be made known. There will be nothing more to reveal beyond what John has seen.

    3. Bittersweet Bread of Belief, 10:8-11.

    v. 8 - John hears the same voice he heard from heaven (v. 4) speaking to him again. He is commanded to take the open book/scroll from the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land, the one given authority over the whole world.
    v. 9 - John obeys, going to the angel and telling him to give him the little book/scroll. It is possible this book contained revelations of the remainder of what John sees, or at least a part of our present Revelation.
    The angel said to John, “Take it and eat it ...” this is a universal figure of speech for receiving knowledge. See Jeremiah 15:16
    Jeremiah 15:16 NASB95
    Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
    and Ezekiel 3:1-3
    Ezekiel 3:1–3 NASB95
    Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.
    The angel continued: “… it will make your stomach bitter …” as it contained the revelation of more judgment, “but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” John would thus find satisfaction in knowing these things.
    v. 10 - John now takes the little book/scroll out of the angel’s hand and “ate it;” as a vision, he could literally eaten the scroll, or metaphorically devoured the contents of it. It was as the angel said to John, “it was as sweet as honey” as a revelation from God, Psalm 19:9-10
    Psalm 19:9–10 NASB95
    The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
    Psalm 119:103 NASB95
    How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
    Then “when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.” Upon meditating, then comprehending the fearful judgments still to come, John probably became distressed. This could be from what we will see in the next chapter and the first three verses, or what is revealed in chapters 11-19 or event the rest of Revelation. It is a burden to be one who brings both God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ as well as God’s sure judgment of the wicked and all wickedness.
    v. 11 - “They said to me” is John’s commission to prophecy again, through the visions that Christ is revealing to him regarding many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.” It will be a message of hope for those who have placed their faith in Christ, but a message of judgment for those who will not repent of their false worship and immoral living. The work of a prophet illustrated in Ezekiel 37:4, 9
    Ezekiel 37:4 NASB95
    Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’
    Ezekiel 37:9 NASB95
    Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.” ’ ”

      • Daniel 12:4NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 12:1–4NASB95

      • Deuteronomy 32:40NASB95

      • Daniel 12:7NASB95

      • Exodus 20:11NASB95

      • 2 Peter 3:1–9NASB95

      • Jeremiah 15:16NASB95

      • Ezekiel 3:1–3NASB95

      • Psalm 19:9–10NASB95

      • Psalm 119:103NASB95

      • Ezekiel 37:4NASB95

      • Ezekiel 37:9NASB95

  • When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
Bethel Baptist Church of Tillamook, OR
revrlcasper@gmail.com
(503) 842-5598
https://bbc-tillamook.faithlifesites.com
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