The Opened Little Book

A new parenthesis begins here between the sixth and seventh trumpet that runs from Revelation 10:1-11:13. In this parenthesis your eye is directed to a particular part of the earth, Jerusalem. That is because all important decisions will be made there. There the feet of the Lord Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives when He comes from heaven. In the first part of the parenthesis, which is chapter 10, a clear light beam breaks through between the dark clouds of the judgments, as a consolation.

Rev 10:1. Again John sees “another angel”. That you also read in Revelation 7 (Rev 7:2) and Revelation 8 (Rev 8:3). In Revelation 8:3 the Angel is the Lord Jesus. It is also a “strong” angel. You read that too in Revelation 5 (Rev 5:2) and in Revelation 18 (Rev 18:21). There it is an ordinary angel. When you read what the characteristics are of this ‘other strong Angel’ there is much to be said that it is the Lord here.

He comes down ”out of heaven”, His dwelling place. Here He, as it were, makes a first step in the direction of the earth. He is “clothed with a cloud”, the symbol of God’s glory. “The rainbow … upon His head” indicates that God will fulfill His covenant with the earth through Him (Gen 9:16). “His face was like the sun” reminds us that God shows all of His glory and sovereign authority in this Person. “His feet like pillars of fire” indicate that the way He operates is the path of holy judgment on sin.

Rev 10:2. The Lord Jesus has “a little book which was open” in His hand. It is a different book from the one you have seen in Revelation 5, which was closed, sealed with seven seals which have been broken in the meantime. In that book the counsels of God are written regarding the whole creation. This book is smaller. It seems to contain God’s plan with the city of Jerusalem. That will be made clear in the next chapter.

This little book is not closed. It doesn’t need to be opened like the book in chapter 5. Regarding Jerusalem, there are no sealed events. What the future of Jerusalem will be, has been told to us in the Old Testament prophecies. Nevertheless the future of Jerusalem is connected with the taking into possession of the whole earth by the Lord Jesus. That is symbolically presented in placing “his right foot on the sea and his left on the land” (cf. Jos 1:3).

Rev 10:3. When He has taken His place on the land and on the sea He cries out “with a loud voice”. The crying out of His voice sounds like the roaring of a lion. He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5). His roaring is a sign that He is ready to claim His right on the earth (Jer 25:30-31; Joel 3:16: Amos 1:2). In response to that the seven thunders let their voices be heard. They express heaven’s assent to His rights and that He will claim through judgment.

Rev 10:4. When the voices of the seven thunders died away, John is about to write what he has heard. But then he hears a voice from heaven saying not to do that. That is an exception for what he had done up to now, for he wrote everything down each time he had seen or heard something. It is not said why in this case he was not allowed to do that.

Rev 10:5. Then John sees how the Angel Who was standing on the sea and on the earth lifts up His right hand to heaven. This is the usual gesture when someone swears an oath (Deu 32:40; Dan 12:7; cf. Gen 14:22).

Rev 10:6. John could hear how the Lord Jesus is swearing by God as the Everlasting and Creator. He Himself is living forever and ever and the Creator, but He is seen here as Man. God has created the three territories – heaven, earth and sea – with everything in it and on it, but which all got into the enemy’s hands. Included in this description is the entire material universe, from the farthest galaxies to the unobserved inhabitants of the deepest sea. Everything comes from God’s hand and not by the way of development, evolution.

The Lord Jesus swears that He will restore all things to the honor of God. He has created everything by His power and by His power He will bring everything to the destination determined by Him. The end of this evil age will not be delayed any longer; the evil age will last only a short time. All things will be accomplished soon. Only one trumpet is left. It will come in the next verse. When that one sounds the waiting time will be over.

Rev 10:7. The seventh trumpet announces the last judgments, which are judgments that herald the coming of the Lord without further delay. Then the mystery of God is finished. A mystery is something that has not been manifested for a certain time and therefore could not be known in that time. The people of God learn to know that mystery when God reveals it, while it remains a mystery for the world. Only when the mystery is finished does the world come to know it.

Here the mystery consists of the ways that God goes in His government with the world and that no man can fathom. In that government God sometimes allows the evil to flourish and the punishment may take a long time, while believers are persecuted and receive no reward. This hidden government of God is nearly over. Then He will reveal how and why He has operated in that way.

To God’s “servants the prophets”, who know this government, it is ‘good news’, as the word translated with “preached” literally indicates. They have heard it from God and have passed it on. The believers have accepted their prophecy in faith and it has given their life direction and strength. To the people of the world it is still a mystery. But when Christ appears the mysteries of God will be revealed by Him. It will be visible for them and they will acknowledge it (Rev 1:7; 2Thes 1:9-10).

Rev 10:8. John is called upon to do something. He must take the book out of the hand of the Angel. In this way he becomes from being a spectator to someone who is involved. It is an example for you not only to be engaged with the future as a subject of study, but that what you read and learn about the future also has an effect in your life.

Rev 10:9. John does what is said to him. He goes to the Angel and tells to Him to give him the little book. It looks a bit strange that John is giving an order here to the Lord Jesus. But John does nothing more than the voice from heaven had said to him. The answer of the Lord Jesus also shows that He is not a subordinate of John. It is not simply said that He gives the little book, but He orders John to take the little book.

Then He gives him the order to eat it and says also what will happen to him when he does. By taking the little book and eating it, it becomes a part of John himself, of his inner feelings (Eze 2:8-10; Eze 3:1-3). In that way he will receive strength for the work still to be done by him. The Lord Jesus also tells John how the little book will taste. When he eats it, it will be both bitter and sweet, bitter in his stomach and sweet in his mouth. The tastes bitter and sweet characterize the acts of God. In history, first comes the bitter and then the sweet.

Rev 10:10. It happens as the Lord Jesus has said. Only, here the sweet taste in the mouth is mentioned first and then the bitter in his stomach. In the experience of John the sweet taste comes first and then the bitter. If you read and study the Scripture you first get the sweet taste of all God’s plans. But when you let those portions sink in your heart you also experience the bitterness of the way God’s plans are being realized.

In other words: when you learn about God’s ultimate goal with creation, you will first of all experience the sweetness (Psa 119:103; Jer 15:16). But the ways of government which lead to that goal are not sweet, but bitter, because of the resistance of man. Reading about all God’s wonderful plans with Israel gives a sweet foretaste of the millennial kingdom of peace. But when you see what sufferings these people will have to go through, it gives a bitter taste.

The same goes for the coming of the Lord Jesus. When you consider that He is coming soon and that you will meet Him in the air it is sweet for the faith. At the same time it also gives a bitter taste when you consider what the coming of the Lord Jesus means for everyone who has refused and rejected Him. It means that they perish forever.

Rev 10:11. John may think that the end has now come. But he must continue passing on the future events that will touch all nations of the world. By eating the little book he has been made suitable for that (cf. 1Kgs 19:8). Each service that the Lord asks of you has to be preceded by eating His Word. Before that He cannot use you.

Now read Revelation 10:1-11 again.

Reflection: Why is it important and necessary to ‘eat’ the Word? What do you experience as ‘sweet’ and what as ‘bitter’?