Revelation 10
Just as Seal #6 was followed by an explanatory parenthetic episode, so here following Trumpet #6.
This parenthetic section contains 3 episodes:
10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
"I saw" opens one vision which continues to 13:1 (the next "I saw").
Who is this angel?
Some say Christ. But in the Revelation, Christ is not referred to as an angel. Compare 5:2, where another "strong angel" (strong & mighty are same GK word), turns John's attention to the Lamb. It is self-evident, that that angel is not Christ.
This angel has several features which remind us of Christ because he is His special representative, but we will see some differences shortly.
clothed with a cloud: - This is a heavenly messenger.
and a rainbow [was] upon his head,
. 		- Commissioned by God (cp. 4:3) to further His judgment,
yet, remembering God's covenant to Noah.
and his face [was] as it were the sun,
.		- Reflects God's glory
(cp. 18:1 - another shining angel who also is not Christ)
and his feet as pillars of fire:
.
.		- This angel is in Christ's business of judgment.
The narrative of Revelation & Dan 10-12 are parallel,
and help us identify this angel.
Outline of Dan 10-12: (chapter & verse references here are to Daniel, unless noted)
10:4-21 The Heavenly Visitor: Some see as Christ, others as an archangel.
-- Cp. the similarities of appearance to Christ (10:4-6, Rev 1:13-16 & Rev 10:1).
-- Cf. the effect of the Visitor's presence on Daniel (10:7-10,15-19, Rev 1:17 & Rev 10:1).
In both Rev 10 & Dan 10, it is an angellic representative, sent with a message from God (Christ), and reflecting the glory of the One who sent him (cp. Dan 10:10,11).
An archangel (perhaps Gabriel cp. 9:21, a peer to Michael, cp. 10:12,13,20,21) -
-- prepares Daniel to receive the message (10:10-12,18-19)
-- states that the prophecy relates to Daniel's people (Israel, 10:14).
-- actually conveys the prophetic message (as do angels in much of Rev.)
11:1-35 Prophecy concerning nations that would impact the people & land of Israel,
looking from Daniel's time into the relatively near future. The prophecy traces the progression of the Medo-Persian empire (v.1,2), its succession by the Grecian empire, including the rise of Alexander (v.3), the division of his empire into four parts (v.4), the troubled decline of two of the parts (v.5-20), and the rise to power of Antiochus Epiphanes (v.21-35, c. 175-163 BC). (These events have been fulfilled.)
11:36-45 Prophecy concerning the willful king (the antichrist),
of whom Antiochus Epiphanes was a "type" or foreshadowing, who -
-- will arise "at the time of the end"(v.40), and
-- will establish himself "in the glorious holy mountain"(v.45, ie., the temple in Jerusalem).
12:1- At that time-
-- Michael shall arise...
-- the time of great trouble...
-- Daniel's people shall be delivered...
Rev. 10 deals with "that time". Therefore, this angel is Michael rising to fulfil his prophetic role.
"Michael" means "who is like God" (which may be phrased as a question or a statement).
Christ IS God. Michael appears like Him, as he shines in Christ's glory.
Michael's part in deposing Satan answers the question posed by his name. cp. Rev 12:7-9; Isa 14:12-17
10:2 And he had in his hand a little book open:
little book- Gk is diminutive form of "scroll", lit. "scrollette".
open- In ch. 5, Christ receives a closed book, the 7 sealed scroll.
In ch. 6, He begins to open it.
By ch. 10, the seals have all been broken, and much of the content has been applied.
This is the same "opened" book. Its "littleness" represents those few things yet remaining for completion. God's counsels are forever settled in heaven. His promises & judgments are "noted in the Scripture of Truth" which the angel opened to Daniel. Dan 10:21; 12:4
and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth,
The angel claims sea and earth for God.
The book is the basis of his authority. Psa 95:5
10:3 And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth:
His roar is expectant of triumph over the adversary. cp. Rev 12:7-9
and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Jews refer to thunder as "the seven voices" (of God). The phrase "the voice of the Lord" occurs 7x in Psa 29:3-9.
10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write:
and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,
Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
We would be foolish to attempt to interpret what God has kept secret.
Why has He "covered" this in the middle of Revelation ("uncovering").
We'll know soon enough ("for the time is at hand", 1:3).
10:5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth
lifted up his hand to heaven,
10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,
who created heaven, and the things that therein are,
and the earth, and the things that therein are,
and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer:
sware by Him- The angel's authority to claim sea & earth is from the Creator.
Note: If this angel were Christ, He would not so swear, since He is the Creator, and He can swear by no greater. Joh 1:1-3; Heb 6:13
there should be time {GK= chronos} no longer-
Some versions read "delay no longer" (in an attempt to accomodate the fact that time as a phenomenon continues - eg., the millenium). But of 110 occurrences of chronos in the OT and NT, nowhere else is it trans. "delay". There is no delay in the progression of God's programs. cp. Mat 24:48; 2Pet 3:9
Chronos often refers to a period of time (eg., "a space", Rev 2:21; "a season", 6:10,11).
This meaning applies here. The angel is announcing the end of a period of time, namely, the time that would elapse prior "to the time of the end" (Dan 12:4). The end of that time marks the beginning of the time of the end, a period of 3.5 years (Dan 12:6,7), which the angel announces in the following verse...
10:7 But {ie., in fact} in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, {ie., Trumpet #7}
when he shall begin {ie., is about} to sound, {ie., "When his turn comes."}
the mystery of God should be finished, {lit., shall also be completed}
as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
A mystery is something which man would not know unless God chooses to reveal it.
That which He has revealed through His prophets is about to come to conclusion.
Amos 3:7; Dan 9:24; Deu 29:24-29; 30:1-7
10:8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said,
Go [and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the
angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
the voice- is that of Christ. cp. 4:1; 10:4
10:9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book.
And he said unto me, Take [it], and eat it up;
and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
To eat the Word of God, is to take it to heart.
sweet... bitter-
Delight with the fact of new revelation. . .
. . .Distress with the nature of that revelation. [JBSmith]
Joy at the prospect of the age of righteousness. . .
. . .Grief at the judgment & martyrdom which must precede it.
Joy in personal renewal by that which proceeds from the mouth of God. . .
. . .Grief at the deafness of those to whom the Word is delivered.
cp. Jer 15:16-18; Eze 2:8-10; 3:1-4,7,14
10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up;
and it was in my mouth sweet as honey:
and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before {or, 'about'}
many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Having been warned that it will bring personal joy and heartbreak,
John is re-commissioned to proclaim God's prophetic message.
prophesy again- Since he has already prophesied about these things,
this suggests that future chapters will review these things and provide further detail.

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