A Powerful Angel & Potent Book
The Revelation of Jesus Christ Series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 45:33
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Psalm 119:11
Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
Psalm 19:9-10
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.
Jeremiah declares in Jeremiah 15:16
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.
God’s Word was never intended to be a feel good book that you read and get all cuddly inside.
This book REVEALS God to man
This book REFLECTS the sin in man’s hearts
This book RESTORES mankind to God
God has given us all we need to know… that being said, HE IS GOD! and there will be things we will not and cannot comprehend.
Last week we looked at the fact that we are engaged in a battle… you and I are not to be mere observers but rather engaged in this fight! As we go through Revelation there is a pattern…
We saw the first Six Seals peeled back and then an INTERMISSION
We have heard the declaration of the first Six Trumpet blast and now we come to another INTERMISSION
Each INTERMISSION allows the reader to PAUSE…
Take note of what has occured (it can be overwhelming)
It Allows for the reader to prepare for what is about to come
During this INTERMISSION we see a shift from pouring out God’s Wrath on unbelievers… to the consolation and encouragement of believers
Last week we saw the horrific display of evil, agony, and destruction by the forces of demonic beings, today we briefly observe the spiritual powers from Heaven! Revelation 10:1-7
I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
A Strong Angel
A Strong Angel
We have seen a strong angel before in Revelation 5:2 proclaiming “who is worthy to open the scroll and it’s seals” now we see another “strong angel.”
Notice some things…
Unlike the others we have recently looked at we see him “coming”
He is from Heaven but not thrown, not fallen
His appearance has been resembled to Christ, however this is not when or how Christ returns…
This is a messenger from God
Clothed in clouds
Rainbow crowning his head (reminder of God’s mercy and promise)
Bright as the sun
Feet like fire
This is a majestic, powerful, messenger from God (some speculate this may be Michael, the prince who guards Israel)
The “land & sea” in prophetic text in scripture land is equated with Israel & sea is equated to gentile nations
The message he brings is for the world, and as we will see the focus is in the region of Israel
This angel SPEAKS with authority and power direct from HEAVEN!… “lions roar”
There is a RESPONSE to his voice… “the seven thunders”
John begins to write what they declare BUT is stopped (a voice in heaven “with authority”)
We don’t know what was spoken and where scripture is silent we are wise to not speculate and remain silent
The Angel’s Oath...
The Angel’s Oath...
The oath brings the importance of what is about to be stated… There is No-One & NOTHING Greater, More powerful, than God Himself
The description of our God here would bring COMFORT and HOPE to the readers:
God is Eternal, self sustained
God is CREATOR of ALL LIFE (that equals authority!)
He created the cosmos (and all in it)
He created the earth (and all in it… including you and me)
He created the sea (and all in it)
This angel swears under oath what is about to come… The sounding of the seventh trumpet will begin to usher in and finish the “mystery of God!”
The Mystery of God
The Mystery of God
This angel declares the message all through the Old Testament… those prophets that God spoke through that declared a coming Messiah and His Reign… these things, this mystery was about to be finished!!!
Jacob would prophesy The scepter would belong to Judah… Genesis 49:10
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
We read in the Psalms that this One with the scepter would rule from Zion or Jerusalem!!! Psalm 2:4-6 .
He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
Isaiah declares this One to Rule would come from the line of David… Isaiah 9:6-7
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
The prophet Zechariah would declare where the King would arrive and establish His kingdom… the same place He left! Zechariah 14:4 .
In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
The trumpet brings in the bowls of wrath and on the heels of this Jesus Christ the Messiah, the descendant of King David, the Lion of Judah, the One who holds the scepter will return and establish His kingdom here on earth! We read this soon in Revelation 19!
What a message to hear, the mystery of God fulfilled…
[first slide] as the prophets of the old testament foretold of His coming reign they could not see the mystery of the church… they saw the COMING, the SUFFERING, and His REIGN all occuring together…
[second slide] however as John writes down all he is observing and hearing, watching the church be born at Pentecost, seeing it grow from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth
Things are much clearer
What was a mystery is now being made known
The voice that spoke from Heaven telling him not to write would now direct John to do something that would have felt somewhat like deja vu … Revelation 10:8-11
Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
Sweet & Sour Scroll
Sweet & Sour Scroll
This was not the first time something like this has been instructed… Ezekiel 2:8-3:1
“Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe. Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
When Ezekiel would open his mouth and speak to Israel it would be the very words of God
John as he is declaring and recording what is to come is declaring the very word of God
Unlike Ezekiel, John’s words would be for all to hear
Greater judgment was yet to come and John would have a crucial role in declaring God’s message
Those who know Christ as Savior, those who are following Him this message is sweet
Our minds may even recall back to Revelation 6 with those martyred saints asking “how long”
We see the fulfillment is soon… BUT THEN…
The BITTERNESS of what is to come, what people will face, the hell that awaits those who reject Him… and our stomachs turn
The GOSPEL itself contains GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS
Bad news… all sin, all are going to eternal damnation, some will reject what God graciously offers
Good News… is what God offers, eternal life, our sin covered the penalty paid by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ
Like John we too must internalize God’s Word allowing it to become a part of us!
As living testimonies we bare the sweet message of Jesus Christ
Understanding His Word we realize many will reject Him…
Paul would write to Timothy concerning this Word and the last days… 2 Timothy 3:2-5; 16-17
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
May the Word of God become part of your very inner being! May we not be known among those Paul warns about but may we be known for allowing the power of His Word to work in and through us!
