Revelation 10, Angel 'Twixt Land and Sea

The seven seals have been removed, the scroll of history unrolled, leading to seven angels with seven trumpets.  The seventh trumpet has now sounded. But, as before, there is an interlude between the sixth and seventh event.

Revelation 10: 1-4, The mighty angel

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.  He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 

And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." 

This angel is dramatic, majestic.  He plants a foot on the sea and one on land, as if he were larger than either.  He too has a scroll and seven thunders respond to his shout.  But John in prevented from communicating the message of the seven thunders.  After all the things revealed so far, suddenly something is hidden from John.  Why?

Revelation 10: 5-7, No more delay

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.  And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!  But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets." 

Note the word "delay". The people of John's time asked, "Why had Jesus delayed his return?" Two thousand years later that question is certainly stronger, sharper. But John says that someday the "delay" will finally end.

Revelation 10: 8-11, Eating the angel's scroll

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."  

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. 

He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."  

I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.  

Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

In this vision, John ingests the scroll and it starts sweet in his mouth but brings nausea afterwards. And then John is told to go further in the prophesy, prepared to address all people and all nations, all languages and kings.

Revelation 9, Three Trumpets, Three Woes

Four trumpets have been sounded. Each has announced something falling from heaven to strike the one-third of the earth.

Revelation 9: 1-12, The fifth trumpet

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.  When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.  And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.  They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.  They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 

This falling star set loose locusts. This time there appears to be no real destruction (of "one-third") as previously, but pain and suffering.

Revelation 9: 1-12, The first woe

During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.  The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.  Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.  They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.  They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 

They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. 

The NIV footnotes say that Abaddon and Apollyon mean "Destroyer".   The star that fell with the fifth trumpet seems to be the "angel of the Abyss", that is Satan, Destroyer.

There are more "locusts".

The first four trumpets brought destruction; the last three will bring "woes".

Revelation 9: 13-19, The sixth trumpet

The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God.  It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."  And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 

The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.  The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.  A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.  The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. 

Four angels are released. The Euphrates is mentioned in Genesis 2:14-16 as bordering the Garden of Eden. Once again, a third are killed.  Mounted troops number 200,000,000, a large number even in modern times!

Revelation 9: 20-21, The world's reaction to the plagues

The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk.  Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Despite the horrible disasters, mankind is resistant to change.  The most persistent charge against mankind is their idolatry, their worship of gods made by idols. But they also murder, steal, are sexually immoral and involved in "magic arts".

Why didn't the people repent?

Revelation 8, A Burning Star

John saw the One of the Throne with a scroll that could not be opened, until the Lamb appeared to unseal this scroll.  Then (in chapter 6), six of the seven of the seals of the scroll were removed. Finally, in this chapter, the last seal is removed.  We now will see a repetition of the count to seven, representing either new events or a parallel description of the previous events.

Revelation 8: 1-6, The scroll opened

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.  And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.  Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.  Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.  

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. 

The scroll is finally opened, after removing seven seals. Now we have seven trumpets sounded by seven angels.

Why is there silence for a time?

Revelation 8: 7, The first trumpet is sounded

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 

The trumpet played by the first angel brings hail and fire "mixed with blood", burning up a third of the earth. Something is "hurled down" upon the earth -- this image will be repeated.

Revelation 8: 8-9, The second trumpet is sounded

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 

The trumpet played by the second angel brings a blazing mountain into the sea and a third of the sea is destroyed, along with animals in it and ships sailing on it.

Revelation 8: 10-11, The third trumpet is sounded

The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. 

Again something falls from the sky and a third is destroyed. What is the significance of the name of the star? (It is given to us as if it had meaning; Wormwood means Bitterness, say the NIV footnotes.) Is this falling star an astronomical phenomena? Or a metaphor for an angelic event?

Revelation 8: 12-14, The fourth trumpet is sounded

The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.  As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

Could these four trumpets all be explaining the same event?  In each case, one-third of something is destroyed: earth, sea, waters, stars.

There have been four trumpets.  Three more will be heard in the next chapter.

Revelation 7, The Great Multitude

The first six seals of the Scroll have been removed.  Only one remains.

Revelation 7: 1-3, Preparations to open the scroll

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.  Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:  "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 

A horrible natural disaster is about to unfold.

What do the seals on foreheads represent?  It indicates some type of identification and protection. (The beast also seals people, see chapter 13.)

Revelation 7: 4-8, Those of Israel sealed by God

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.  From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. 

Each of the twelve tribes of Israel has twelve thousand who are "sealed". Is this intended to be literal? Or is there something deeper, some symbolic meaning intended by the 12,000 from each tribe?

Revelation 7: 9-12 ,The great multitude

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."  

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" 

Whatever the role of the 144, 000 in the previous paragraph, they are part of a larger "great multitude", larger beyond counting.

Revelation 7: 13-17, Who are they?

Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"  

I answered, "Sir, you know." 

And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

This large multitude have come out of a great tribulation and now receive every protection and honor God can bestow on them.  I look forward to that time when "God will wipe away ever tear from their eyes."

Many view the "great tribulation" as a particular short time in future history, with a specific start date and end date (such as World War II, for example.) But that need not be the interpretation of this phrase.  It is possible that the entire church age, or various episodes of it, can be described as the "great tribulation", as Christians await the eventual redemption of the universe.

In the next chapter the scroll is opened.

Revelation 6, Six Seals on the Scroll

The scroll of history has been revealed in heaven and the Lamb has stepped forward to unseal it.

Revelation 6: 1-2, The lamb opens the first seal

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!"  I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 

The white horse and its rider are bent on conquest.  (Military conquest, one nation over another?) Does this character affect history or merely prepare to affect history?

Revelation 6: 3-4, The second seal

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"  Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. 

The rider of the red horse destroys peace.  So presumably these first two riders bring war.

Revelation 6: 5-6, The third seal

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.  Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" 

The Greek word "choinix" (probably about a liter)  is translated here as "quart" and the Greek word "denarius", representing a Greek coin that was roughly one day's wage for the common man, is translated as "a days wage" by the NIV.

This third rider, on the black horse, apparently brings economic chaos?

Revelation 6: 7-8, The fourth seal

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"  I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. 

The fourth rider is on a pale horse and this time it is clear that this rider brings death and destruction, killing a quarter of the population.

These are the "four horsemen of the Apocalypse."  What is their role in history?  Are they literal creatures?  Or symbols?

Why are there four, and not seven?  Does four have any meaning here, after the extensive use of the number seven?

Revelation 6: 9-11, The fifth seal

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.  They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"  

Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. 

A theme of the book of Revelation is that the people of God are waiting for some type of culmination of history. This requires patience but that completion will occur, says this book.

Revelation 6: 12-16, The sixth seal

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.  The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.  

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

What occurs with the breaking of the sixth seal?  Is this a historical event (in past or future time)?

Why does the chapter end here?  What is left to do?  The seventh seal is about to be broken and the scroll unrolled.  But before that happens, there will be a brief interlude.

Revelation 5, The Scroll of History

John, in a vision, has entered heaven where he sees the throne of God and 24 elders gathered around the throne. The One on the throne has a scroll....

Revelation 5: 1-4, The sealed scroll of history

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"  

But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 

The scroll is sealed so no one can look inside it. This seems to be important, for John weeps when no one can even glance inside. And yet there is one -- only one -- who has the right to look into the scroll.

Revelation 5: 5-10, One Who can open the scroll

Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."  

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 

Only the Lamb who was slain can open the scroll. This Lamb of God, dead once and now alive, has all mankind in his debt.

The scroll is sealed up like a will would have been.  Why is this significant?  (See Hebrews 9:15 ff.)

Revelation 5: 11-14, The angels and every creature join in

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"  

The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The four living creatures and the elders are not listed with the angels.  So who are they?

This scroll is important.  We will spend the next two chapters learning what happens as the seven locks ("seals") are removed.