THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Part 24
The Little Book
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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:
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right
foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the Earth,
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he
had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
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.
And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth
lifted up his hand to Heaven,
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:
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall
begin to sound, the Mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His
servants the prophets.
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.
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.
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.
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many
peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Revelation 10 KJV
This is an occurrence in "eternity past" which
John the revelator witnessed.
This passage is not connected to the Sixth Trumpet,
but has direct reference to the Seventh Trumpet and the Mystery of God.
Detail of content of “the Little Book” open was not
disclosed to John, so we cannot say much about it, yet. We do not yet have
knowledge of the significance of this ‘book’ that we may write about it.
Earlier on, John saw the seven stars [seven angels]
of the seven churches (1:20); he heard the voices of myriad of angels in
worship around the Throne of God, and he saw the Cherubim of Glory (chapter 4);
he saw four angels standing at the four corners of the Earth, holding back the
four winds of the Earth (7:1). He saw an angel with the Seal of the Living God
(7:2); the seven angels with the Seven Trumpets (8:2); an angel with the golden
censer (8:3); and ‘the star’ [angel] that was given the key of the bottomless
pit (9:1-2).
But here in chapter 10, he saw “another mighty Angel”
coming down from Heaven robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above
his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like
pillars of fire.
The rainbow of Heaven displays the divine Glory of
God the Creator (Gen. 9:13-16, Rev.4:3). In this revelation, John saw the
divine Glory of Christ. The Cherubim are connected to this divine Glory—of the
Ancient of Days and the Lamb [the Father and the Son] (read Ezekiel 1).
The Lord’s appearance is like that of a glowing
metal, full of fire; radiant with brilliant light (Rev.1:12-16). His appearance
is like “a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day.”
Mighty Angel—The Angel of the Lord, clothed with a
cloud with a rainbow upon His head; with face as bright as the sun, feet as
pillars of fire, and with a Voice like a roaring lion.
He swore by “Him that lives for ever and ever,” Who
created the Heaven and the Earth, that there should be time no longer (v.6).
Time is part of the universe. But, before God
created the universe, time didn’t exist. Time is a property of space, and
without space, time won’t exist.
So as He proclaims the end of time it was also a
proclamation of the end of the universe. This is later borne out in Revelation
21 when God makes a new Heaven and a new Earth.
The Little Book in His hand (10:2), and the seven
thunders that uttered words (v.3), remain secrets with God.
He had in His hand a Little Book open: and He set His
right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the Earth (v.2). He is able to do
this because; all Authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Him
(Matt.28:18).
He shouted with a loud Voice like the roaring of a
lion, and when He shouted, seven thunders uttered their voices (v.3).
The Voice of the Lord is powerful; the Voice of the Lord is full
of majesty (Psa.29:4 KJV).
When the trumpet of the seventh angel begin to sound,
then the Mystery of God (His secret Design, and hidden Purpose), as He had
announced to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled (accomplished,
completed).