Revelation Chapter 10 Verses 1 - 2

 Some people believe this is Jesus but it is not. First of all, Jesus is not

an angel and even though some theophanies in the Old Testament refer

to Jesus as The Angel of the Lord, this is, as John describes, “another

mighty angel.” John uses the word, “allos,” meaning another of the

same kind. If this angel was vastly different than the others John saw,

(which we would expect if he was referring to Jesus), he would have

used the word, “heteros” meaning another not of the same kind or

different.

 Many good Bible teachers believe this angel is Jesus Himself because

the angel’s description is very similar to that of Jesus in Chapter 1

however the fact that John sees this angel place his feet upon the earth,

(appearing on the earth), means quite clearly this is not Jesus Himself

but rather a high-ranking angel. Why? Jesus doesn’t return until the

conclusion of the Great Tribulation period in Revelation 19 and when

He returns, it’s all over…but here there’s still plenty to go, 9 chapters,

of the Great Tribulation.

 And some have linked this event with Zechariah Chapter 14:4 where

the prophet writes that the Lord will stand upon the Mount of Olives

and the mountain will be split in two, but if you read all of Zechariah

Chapter 14 you will easily conclude that it’s all over at that point

because it is then that the Lord becomes the King over all the

earth…which we know happens again in Revelation Chapter 19.

 So why does this angel resemble Jesus? I suggest because he comes

from the very presence of Jesus…just like Moses in Exodus 34 as we

read how he took on characteristics of the Lord simply from being in

the presence of the Lord and this encourages me because the same

thing is true for us.

 If we spend time with the Lord then we will begin to look like Him,

act like Him and even think like Him. God is love and love is the

highest form of pure power and strength! Someone filled with agape,

godly, unconditional and unrestrained love…you can’t stop them,

hurt them, delay them, destroy them, deter them…they love you…

 What we have here is a mighty angel. One that perhaps reflects the

glory of God but is not God. But I do love the fact that John sees yet

another MIGHTY angel! As all of these angels, these fallen angels are

running amuck on earth, there are mightier that are about to get

involved…

 Maybe that encourages you. I know dark times and troubling seasons

are upon some of you. The cards may be stacked against you, the walls

closing in all around, remember, there is One who has taken the

place and responsibility of your Hero in your story. Hard to see, faith

is difficult…see it anyway. Fix your eyes on Jesus and set your mind

on trusting Him, and know that what He has said will come to pass!

 And…, angels are all around us, all around you! Hebrews Chapter 1

verse 14 says, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to

minister for those who will inherit salvation?” We have help at all

times, even angels that encircle us…ministering to us, and for us…and

of course Jesus Christ Himself who is continually with us, will not

leave us and has promised to never forsake us.

Revelation Chapter 10 Verses 3 – 4

 Thunder is such a phenomenon! It’s loud, you feel it, its all around,

everywhere…, dogs run for their lives, its great! HA! And now we see

that John has a Jesus journal in heaven! I love that! This whole time,

how is it that we have everything so detailed? Well, real time,

somehow John is writing it all down!

 Whose voice is this thunder? John Chapter 12. Jesus is troubled and

He says, “My soul is greatly troubled, and what shall I say? Father

save Me from this hour? But for this purpose, I came to this hour.

Father, glorify Your name.” And then a voice came from heaven,

saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” And the

people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered!

 So, who’s voice could this be here in Revelation 10? It is the number

seven…it is a thunder described by John as a voice…I suggest to you

that it could be God the Father Himself…at any rate…we don’t know.

 And what did they say? We don’t know. Why? It was just for

John…and I like that…

Revelation Chapter 10 Verses 5 – 7

 There is purpose in what we perceive to be God’s delay. You’ve

prayed, the situation is difficult, the days are hard, and you’re waiting

on the Lord. It’s not like the Lord isn’t working. Remember that! He

doesn’t take any breaks. That’s impossible for Him. We think there is

a delay, there’s actually not. God is doing a greater work that requires

you to have faith…

 Another reason why I believe this to be a high ranking, mightier angel

and not Jesus Christ. Because here John tells us that he lifts his hand

and swears not by Himself, but by God…and what is his

proclamation? That there should be delay no longer.

 There have been countless wars, robberies, hurts, harms, cruelty, and

so many times so many prayers, “God where are you…?” That

mystery is about to be solved. A mystery is truth that is hidden until is

uncovered…

 The 144,000 are about to be gathered on Mount Zion, (Chapter 14),

and sent forth from the Lamb Himself. The two witnesses are about to

come on the scene testifying of salvation through Jesus, (Chapter 11).

The three angels that fly in the midst of the skies proclaiming God’s

kingdom are about to arrive, (Chapter 14). And Satan once and for all

will be banished from even the realm of the spirit and will be cast

down with all of his angels to the earth until the very end. (Chapter

12).

 In Daniel 12:4, Daniel is given a very clear revelation of what is to

come and he is told, “Shut up the words, and seal the book until the

time of the end; many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall

increase…” So, what can be known will remain a mystery until the

time of the end which Paul gave to us some incredible encouragement

in 1 Corinthians 2:10 that, “God has revealed these things to us

through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things yes, the deep

things of God.”

 All that to say that the time of The Great Tribulation is the time of the

great revelation and as a Christian, being given and filled with the

Holy Spirit, as we choose to look to Him for understanding, He is the

Great Comforter, the Great Revealer and in that we know that we are

in the last times…

 And that’s a word for us today, for me today. God, what is going on

here? Why is this such a mess? Where are you? God’s plan in my

life and in yours will remain a mystery sometimes so that we might

learn submission and trust. In Bible talk that’s worship and

faith…but take heart, the mystery of God will be finished one day

soon and when it is…the clay will not complain against the Potter for

fashioning it into a beautiful pot…

 God even delays today on the world scene, He delays the rapture of

His church…why? Because He is longsuffering, waiting for that last

soul, any soul, that would receive Him and be spared from this…but

He will not wait much longer, I’m sure of it…

Revelation Chapter 10 Verses 8 – 9

 Next time someone tells you about a good book they read and they

say, “yea I just devoured it in a day!” Hey, great opportunity to

witness…Here John devours this book in one sitting, only quite

literally.

Revelation Chapter 10 Verse 10

 This is quite interesting because just like this book that the angel gives

John, the Word of God is described in Psalm 19 and Psalm 119 as

sweeter than honey. But if the sweet as honey Word of God that we

take in through Bible studies and times of reading and times of

personal devotions and times of contemplation on what we know and

have heard, read and learned…if those times don’t create a sour taste,

a bitterness in our depths…then something is wrong.

 You see, the fact that we are saved, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the

Father’s exceeding love for us…that is so sweet…the truth of the

Word, the promises of God…easy to understand, clear and simple to

take in…but application…an entirely different story.

 Skip Heitzig recently remarked, “I believe every good sermon should

at some point cut and confront. Not for the sake of cutting, not for the

sake of pain, not for the sake of inducting guilt, but to cut away those

things which are displeasing to the Lord.” The Word of God ought to

have this effect on a follower of Jesus Christ. Encouraging and

wonderful at the intake…but as the application and believing happens,

the flesh is confronted…and that is always sour…

 Also, the fact that people we love are dishonoring God, and in that

they are dishonoring themselves, their wives, their husbands, their

kids…the fact that folks are slipping everyday into hell…the fact that

we waste so much time on trivial worldly distractions…, all of those

things, should be quite bitter in our very cores.

 Ezekiel understood this. The mighty prophet of God. Ezekiel was

timid, ineffective…and then God appears to him and gives him a

scroll and says eat it…and as he ate of it, devoured it, he writes in

Ezekiel chapter 3 that the Spirit of the Lord filled him. It was only

after he ate the book that was sweet to his mouth but bitter to his belly

that he was able to share boldly with those of whom he had

previously been afraid. You see the bitterness in his belly moved him

to live mightily for the Lord and he became, almost immediately, a

watchman for the house of Israel.

 If the word is not churning your soul to the point where you cannot

spend all day wasted, you cannot watch your family suffer from your

selfishness, you cannot live another day bowing down to the evil of

laziness while people slip eternally out of God’s presence and another

child another child another child is stolen from Him…then something

is wrong!! You don’t believe even what we are studying in Revelation.

Maybe in mind…but certainly not in heart. Because this book, when

devoured will turn your stomach sour to the things of the flesh and

this world… You don’t get into this book, this book gets into you!

Revelation Chapter 10 Verse 11

 This idea of “must” here is not a command but rather it is a statement

of inevitableness. If you hang out with Jesus, you will end up being

like Him. Because He is so good. He is so filled with glory. He is

glory Himself… And you will change…

 That is the result of the churn in your soul, the bitterness in your

belly…when the truth begins to sink in and the love of the Father is

revealed and the essence of eternity overshadows the lie of the here

and now…everything changes…why? Because you change…

 You come alive in the spirit. So many Christians may have their

golden tickets ya know…on their way to heaven having escaped the

world just like the Israelites escaped Egypt…yet they remain roaming

in circles in the wilderness, never arriving at the promised land which

is a life lived flowing with milk and honey, with giants being defeated

at their hand, with grapes the size of basketballs…

 And the irony of it all is that there is no better life lived then a life

lived with a bitterness in the belly…because then your days will

matter, your life will matter, the promised land is full of bitter

bellyites…and that’s it…the wilderness retains those that have

chewed but not swallowed…

 Every day the Word should change you…not the Word has changed

you…, it should be changing you and if you could just perceive the

mystery revealed, you’d strive for that because is alone is SO good

and HE is so good!!