Steve Grant
Series in Revelation
The Angel and the Scroll
Revelation 10
5 May 2019
Chapter 10 takes place between the sixth and seventh trumpets.
Verses 1-7
John is now on earth, and we know this because he sees an angel coming down from heaven. This angel’s power is captured by the fact that he has one foot on land and another on the sea.
Scripture does not tell us what this angel spoke because John was commanded not to write down the contents of what the angel spoke.
But then the angel does raise his hand and swear by God; and when he does, the mystery of God will be completed. The mystery of God is that which He revealed through His prophets. Revelation 11:15 tells us what this mystery is about ... Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
So the mystery is the setting up of God’s kingdom on earth.
But today we’re living in the days of delay. The dam of God’s mercy is holding back His earth to come.
Verses 8-11
It wasn’t enough for John to see the scroll and know its contents and know its purpose. He had to receive it into his inner being. Hence the command to receive it and internalise. The command to “eat” the scroll is a symbol to accept and internalise it. This is what we need to do. Not just listen and have knowledge but internalise what we hear and know so that it becomes a part of us.
We see this idea in Ezekiel 2:8-3:3.
This tells us that God’s words contain words of sweet hope and encouragement to us. But it also contains judgments and woes that condemnations that will be bitter in our innermost parts.
And when we chew on this word we come to know that God has ordained for us to speak this message to people and nations and kings; and this message is a bitter message for them.
We don’t just need to know the scripture; we need to ingest it and digest it.
It’s only as we personally enter into the teachings of God that we’ll be prepared to speak with impact to others. We have the sweetness of redemption given to us but now we must preach the bitter message of judgment that is coming upon those who reject these words of God.