New Testament Commentary - Revelation 10

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 10 John seals up many things relative to the last days—He is commissioned to participate in the restoration of all things.
1 AND I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little ^abook open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
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^a. 5 And the angel which I saw ^astand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And ^asware 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 ^btime no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the ^amystery of God should be finished^a, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.	4^a 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 And thus it does seem that John's record does not leave out much detail of happenings up to the the seventh angel's sounding, which sounding is not recorded in this chapter but in the next chapter 11 beginning with verse 15 (see Revelation 11:15). 7^a in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished Though we don't hear from John just what that events are which are left out leading up to the seventh trumpet angel, here it does or will concern the unvailing of the 'mystery of God'. What its 'woe' may only be speculated, perhaps includes much concerning the closing off of those from the presence of God? But as stated by John, in his mouth the 'little book' was sweet as honey but in his belly it was bitter (see verse 10). Whether this is the sweetness of inclusion in the presences of God and then the comtemplation of those who are left without can only be surmised as possible (see Revelation 11:15-19).
The Seventh Trumpet Angel Alluded to But Not Yet
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. 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.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ^aate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy ^aagain before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.