Revelation Study 15. Revelation 10:1 -11 (pgs 98-100)

Review: What is the purpose of the interlude between the 6th and 7th seals ? The church identified and protected. The vision looks away from judgment

 

Daniel 10:4-12:13

 1. How is the vision of Revelation 10:1-7 like that of Daniel 10:4-12:13 described above?

 There is a glorious angelic figure ("a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude", "above the waters of the stream" (Da 10:5-6, 12:7-9)

 

There is an oath (Da 12:7)

 

2. In Daniel 12:5-7, one angel asks, "How long?" In Revelation 6:9-11, the martyrs ask, "How long?" How is the angel's oath in 10:6-7 different from the oath in Daniel 12:7 and the answer in Revelation 6:11? 

The "time, times and half a time" are now over. (cf. Rev 12:6, 14; 13:5) There "will be no more delay"

 

3. In light of Daniel 12:6-7 and Revelation 6:9-11, why do you think there is now no more delay before God's purpose is accomplished?

 God's appointed time has come. The full number of martyrs is complete (i.e. the suffering of the church is over - God's purposes have been fulfilled through them). God's patience has run out.

4. Why is the oath of Revelation 10:6-7 important for us to know about? 

For Thought and Discussion: Why Is It significant that God sent His angel to  swear by Him, the eternal Creator of everything, that there would be no more delay? (See Hebrews 6:16-20.)

 There is absolute certainty: the oath is sworn by the name of God who is Eternal Creator, sovereign over earth, sea and heaven.

God has purposes that how will come to pass. He has revealed these purposes in the past, and the ultimate fulfillment of these mesages is now here.

"Vision is not the message, and message is not fulfillment." 

We have assurance that what we understand of God's word and purposes will take place and be completed.

 

The mighty angel has many 'divine' features: cloud, rainbow, sun, legs like pillars of fire, roaring. Great though the angel is, God is far greater. 

 

He comes “down from heaven” (10:1) and John takes the scroll from his hand (10:8), implying that John is no longer in the heavenly throne room (4:1). He has an earthly message to give. 

 

What is this purpose? Eph 1:10 ("a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him."

 

5. What do you think is symbolized by John's eating the scroll of God's words and finding it sweet in his mouth and sour in his stomach (10:9-11)?

For Thought and Discussion: Have God's words ever tasted sweet In your mouth but upset your stomach when you digested them? Why does this happen?   

cf. Ez 2:10-3:1. The scroll of Ezekiel had "writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe." yet it was sweet as honey. The word of God brings painful judgment.

Jeremiah (15:16) likewise finds God's word sweet, but the burden of his ministry heavy. 

 

The scroll of Rev 10 is similarly linked to John's ministry: “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” There is a chiastic structure: sweet -bitter-bitter-sweet. 

The 'scroll' of Rev 5:1 and the book of life (3:5) is biblos, that of John's writing (1:11, 22:18) is biblion, that of Rev 10 is biblaridion (a 'little scroll') small enough to eat.

6. What lesson or message for us does 10:9-11 offer?

We may delight to do God's will and to proclaim His word in one sense, but doing it may often cause longer-term pain to us, as well as pain to a rejecting world.

v. 10 is the centre of the chiasma. “I took the scroll… and ate it”.

The sealing of the message of the seven thunders tells us that God has secrets. John hears the will of God, but he is not permitted to speak of them. Sealing may indicate future events (cf. Da 8:26, 9:24, 12:4, 12:9), implying that the fullness of God's purposes are yet not known by us.

The second implication is that if the thunders are future, then the seals and trumpets point to the present time.

Just as with Daniel, the hiddenness of God's full purpose calls for trust and holiness cf "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand." (Da 12:7-10)