Revelation 11

7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

Image above John Martin, Belshazzar’s Feast, c. 1821; Wikimedia Commons.

In Chapter 11, we are given a vision of the truth that the church will experience various trials and triumphs during its time of witness on earth.

III. The Church will experience seeming defeat at the end of this age. vss. 7-10. 

vs. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them…

This marks a final stage in redemptive history. According to Revelation 6:9-11 the martyrs are told to rest until their number is complete.

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

“At this time, the church will have completed its role of bearing witness to Christ before the world, and will appear defeated (so Matt. 24:9-22).” (see Beale, p. 226, below).

The Beast & the Church — There is a limit to the physical protection of the Church. When the period of testimony is over, the day of grace is past. The Lord will permit the seeming destruction of the Church. The Beast from the abyss will accomplish the deed of destruction. He will be identified later in chapter 13.

Left Image from Wikimedia Commons: A medieval tapestry, this detail of which shows John, and the Beast. We should be mindful that the figures in Revelation do not take physical form, but are intended to illustrate spiritual realities behind the sufferings of the church.

vs. 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

The Identification of the City — The city is identified as the earthly Jerusalem which rejected and crucified Jesus. Later on, it is also expanded to ultimately refer to the whole world. Jerusalem was a microcosm. Its attitudes and actions symbolize those of the entire world in opposition to God and His Redemptive Plan for it. The Cities of Sodom, Babylon, Jerusalem, and Rome are combined as a symbol of the world in its opposition to God and His Covenant people.

“The painting depicts a group of early Christian martyrs who are about to be burned alive as the alleged perpetrators of the Great Fire of Rome, during the reign of emperor Nero in AD 64. People from many different social spheres, including the emperor himself, are present to watch the burning, which takes place in front of the Domus Aurea (Nero’s Golden House). The motif is based on the descriptions by Suetonius and Tacitus.” Text and Image above from: WikiPedia; Painting in Public Domain by Siemiradski Fackeln, 1876

vs. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb…

The Time Period of the Beast’s Triumph — Note that 3½ days is a short time in comparison to the 3½ years of testimony. Jesus testified 3½ years, and laid in the tomb for approximately 3½ days. This is a possible reference to the church’s experience being like her Lord’s. There will be a period of testimony followed by a period of seeming defeat.

vs. 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

The Celebration over the Church’s Demise — The inhabitants of the earth (literally, “earth–dwellers” in Greek) are those who are settled down in this earth. They are dominated by this world system. They oppose God and his plans in this world.

This passage always makes me think of Belshazzar’s Feast in Daniel five. One would have thought he would have learned the lesson his father Nebuchadnezzar had learned from his insane period (Daniel 4). Belshazzar sent for the vessels of Solomon’s temple to make his feast an idolatrous meal. Daniel 5:4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (ESV). (see the image at the head of this post.) 

Gifts Sent — The Greek reads, “They shall send gifts to one another.” They will throw a party to celebrate the destruction of the church. The word doran means “a gift” such as someone would send to a birthday party.

Why the celebration? — The inhabitants of the earth regard the ones who preach salvation through Christ alone as those who are tormentors. The Greek word basanizō means “to torture or torment.” The noun form basanistēs is used of a jailer who tortures his prisoners (see Matt. 18:34; ESV).

For instance, Ahab regarded Elijah as the one who tormented Israel. I Kings 18:17-18 records the interchange.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.

Right above is a stele of Baal holding a thunderbolt. He is God of fertility, weather, rain, wind, lightning, seasons, war, sailors. Yet, he was not able to call down fire on a sacrifice at Mt. Carmel. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Those who oppose God mistreat God’s people because they remind them of God’s commandments and statutes.

The last word hasn’t been said yet! Next time… .

Notes
(Commentaries on which I rely without direct quotation) 

Beale, G. K. (2015). Revelation: a Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Kindle Edition.

ESV. (2001). Accessed 24 June 2020 from https://www.biblegateway.com

Hendriksen, William. More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (p. 125).

Johnson, A. F. (1982). Revelation in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Johnson, D. E. (2001). Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Kenner, C. (2000). The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Morris, Leon. (1987). Revelation in Tyndale New Testament Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

WikiMedia Commons for most images

© 2020 C. Richard Barbare All Rights Reserved

Revelation 11

4 [The two witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

Image above by Douglas W. Krieger – “The Visions and Prophecy of Zechariah” issued under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 from Wikimedia Commons

As we saw in the last post, Chapter 11 gives us a view into what God’s people will be experiencing as they witness to the Gospel of Christ between His Resurrection-Ascension and Second Coming.

II. God’s people have at their disposal divine weapons to exercise in prayer against God’s and their enemies. vss. 4-6

vs. 4 [The two witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

The Background to the Symbols — The Church is identified with symbols from Zechariah 4. In this passage the lampstand is prominent as a symbol of the Church. Earlier in Rev., there were 7 lampstands. In Zech. the oil from the olive tree is a definite symbol of the Spirit’s enabling of the Church in its witnessing.

“Though the prophetic witnesses live in a world of danger, they are never far from their Lord’s sovereign presence, and nothing can separate them from their secure relationship with Him.” (See Beale, p. 222, below.)

You and I ought never forget that it is in the presence of the Lord God that we stand as His servants! We go forth in His name to witness and work. Our protection is of the Lord God we serve! Elijah was conscious of this as he faced wicked Ahab. 

I Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (ESV; emphasis mine.)

Olive Trees — “Zechariah speaks of the two witnesses, the king and the priest, who reestablish a literal temple, whereas John sees two witnesses helping to build the heavenly temple. In contrast with Zechariah, the two witnesses are not individuals but represent the church universal.” (see Beale, p. 222, below.)

vs. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.

The Church’s Weapons — George Whitefield said, “We are immortal until our work on earth is done.” (see Whitefield, below.) This verse certainly refers to protective resources. However, the destruction referred to in this verse and in the following ones is not physical primarily. It is spiritual destruction. It is torment of the spirit and not a desire for public vindication. It certainly includes some actual physical destruction. The words of the witnessing church is destructive. They can heal and harm. The condition of the hearer determines which result is inflicted.

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Elisabeth Elliot was often asked about Jim Elliot’s faith in Psalm 91 and his singing of the hymn based on it the night before he went to meet martyrdom along with others.

1
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender;
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender.
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
2
Yea, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.
3
We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing;
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
4
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender:
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise
When reigning in the Kingdom of Thy splendor;
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.
(see Net Hymnal below.)

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Why didn’t Jim and his party have the protection of the “shadow of the Almighty” while they were bearing witness for Christ? many asked her.

Elisabeth always added, “Jim had another saying, too!

‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose!'”

John Piper says, “This is where Jim Elliot was slain — in the shadow of the Almighty.” (see Piper below.)

Jim Elliot was! But, he was kept safe there, too. Like all of us, kept safe in the shadow of the almighty until our work is finished; and then, still under that shadow, we are carried home safely to be with our Lord at death! We are never out from under that shadow! 

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II Corinthians 10

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ… .
(ESV; Emphasis mine.)

vs. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

Old Testament Symbols — This verse brings to mind two O.T. men — Elijah and Moses. John is saying that the NT Church witnesses in the strength and power of these two OT prophets. We have already seen that the Church’s prayers bring the plagues upon the earth. Those who refuse to repent will experience those plagues.

How can we be protected and yet be martyred at the same time? Our souls are secure and our bodies will be raised at the last trumpet! We can’t lose.

“[The Church] may undergo bodily, economic, political, or social harm, but their eternal covenantal status with God will not be affected. Though they may suffer and even die, they will invincibly and successfully carry out the spiritual mission for which they have been ‘measured’ and commissioned.” (see Beale, p. 223, below).

We move on to the next section of chapter 11, in the next post.

Notes
(Commentaries on which I rely without direct quotation) 

Beale, G. K. (2015). Revelation: a Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Kindle Edition.

ESV. (2001). Accessed 24 June 2020 from https://www.biblegateway.com

Hendriksen, William. (1939). More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (p. 125).

Johnson, A. F. (1982). Revelation in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Johnson, D. E. (2001). Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Kenner, C. (2000). The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Morris, Leon. (1987). Revelation in Tyndale New Testament Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Net Hymnal. (1872-1897). “We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender”. Accessed 13 August 2020 from https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/881

Piper, J. (2016). “Slain in the Shadow of the Almighty.” Accessed 13 August 2020 from https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/slain-in-the-shadow-of-the-almighty

Whitefield, G. (n.d.). Accessed 13 August 2020 from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_whitefield_201221

WikiMedia Commons for Images

© 2020 C. Richard Barbare All Rights Reserved

Revelation 11

1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

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Image above is from WikiMedia Commons: Artistic depiction of the Solomon’s Temple Sanctuary (Naos).

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The Context of Chapter 11 — This chapter is by far the most difficult chapter in Revelation to interpret. The difficulty stems from the presence of “Jewish elements” in it. These apocalyptic images morph from one into another so quickly that one cannot read this chapter like a newspaper account of the future.

Some take a literal view of the chapter and its details. However, the symbols obviously refer to realities beyond literal Old Testament Jews. John uses Jewish elements as symbols for the people of God, both Jews and Gentiles, who are redeemed by the blood of Christ during the entire Church Age. The temple, city, and witnesses are figures used to show the fate of Christ’s church during the last days — the time between the Death-Resurrection-Ascension and the Second Coming of Christ. Note carefully the following: (1) John refers to the Christian Church as God’s kings and priests (Rev. 1:6);
(2) John uses the symbol of a temple (naos = Sanctuary) for the Christian Church (Rev. 3:12).
Therefore, the symbolic view of Chapter 11 is preferred over the literal view for the stated reasons.

Chapter 11 gives us a view into what God’s people will be experiencing as they witness to the Gospel of Christ between His Resurrection-Ascension and Second Coming.

Verses 1-14 — These verses comprise an extended direct quotation from an unstated source. The speaker is simply not identified. John is not a mere spectator to the action described in this scene. As in the last chapter, John becomes a participant.

One realizes from the onset that the chapter is dealing with symbolism and not a literal temple, a literal city, or two literal prophets. The spiritual is represented in terms that first century believers could understand. The OT figures are regularly applied to the NT Church. John is not saying that a literal temple is to be measured. Historical evidence dates the Revelation at ca. A.D. 95. Therefore, Herod’s temple was no longer standing. Scripture does not teach a return to the Jewish sacrifices in the last days. Therefore, there cannot be a restoration of the temple. This would negate the message of the book of Hebrews. (see Hebrews 10.)

The temple naos (inner sanctuary) (and not a temple complex which would be indicated by the Greek word hieron) is symbolic of the true people of God — the Church of Jesus Christ. This chapter records the ministry of the Church in the days from Christ’s Resurrection-Ascension to His Second Coming.

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I. God’s people are assured of His protection against eternal harm from the enemy. vss. 1-3

vs. 1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there…” 

He is given a measuring rod (rhabdos). The act of measuring may indicate that one is marking out a thing for preservation or for destruction. Leon Morris, (p. 145), refers the reader to II Sam. 8:2 for a marking out for destruction and to Ezek. 40:3ff. for a marking out for preservation.

Note that the word “was given” (didômi — in the past tense – aorist) passive voice indicates an implied divine agency. The altar is the incense altar where the worship of the people of God took place inside the temple sanctuary. The worshipers are also marked out for preservation. God is pledging to protect his Church while she carries out her testimony in the world. We should note that the preservation of the Church is promised, but the people of God are not promised preservation from physical harm. 

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A Modern Example of Preservation within, but not Exemption from, Suffering

Although Vietnam has already lifted its nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, the government still distributes food aid through the local villages to families with meager incomes or those who lost their jobs during the lockdown. But when 18 Christian families—a total of 107 people including senior citizens and children — went to gather their portion, local authorities told them, “You are not the list.”

“When they learned support was coming to their district, they were so happy,” Nguyen* shares. “Instead, the authorities said: ‘You are Christians, and your God shall take care of your family! The government is not responsible for your families!’”

When our partners learned about this injustice, they responded, delivering sacks of rice (55 pounds for each household) to these believers—but even this wasn’t easy. Local authorities soon found out about the distribution at a church member’s home and showed up, demanding they stop and immediately leave the village. Nguyen paints the scene:

“One of our partners, Pastor Foom*, bravely faced the authorities. He stood up to them and said, ‘Our church donated these sacks of rice to help them in this difficult time. Since you could not provide food for them and discriminated against them from receiving aid because they are Christians, our church decided to help them. Why are you stopping us from helping them?’”

Compelled to deliver the aid to the families, Open Doors partners took the sacks of rice to a different village where a believer willingly opened his house to store the aid, despite the risk of interrogation. Representatives of the 18 families discreetly went to the designated home where they finally received the aid. (see Open Doors below; *names changed to protect identity.)

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vs. 2 … “but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”

The Outer Court — God has no interest in the outer court of the temple, nor in the rest of the city. Ekballô, here rendered “exclude,” is used in an unusual way. Normally, it means “to cast out.” Here it means to “leave out of consideration.” John uses the aorist imperative negated by mê which indicates that the action had not yet began “do not even begin to measure . . . .” The outer court was the court of the gentiles. This was used by those who were not Jews, but who came to worship. The sanctuary (naos) contains the true people of God. The outer court must, then, symbolically contain the heathen. God has protected the true church from destruction. There will be martyrs. But, the Church itself will not be destroyed.

The Gentiles in Chapter 11 — This reference has led many commentators to conclude that the line of demarcation in Rev. 11 is between Jews and Gentiles. However, Alan F. Johnson points out that “Gentiles” (Greek = ethnoi from which we derive our English word “ethnicity”) is regularly used in the same way we use the word “heathen” to describe unbelievers as opposed to Christians.

The reference to “Gentiles” should be interpreted as “unsaved who may or may not be a part of the professing church.” The ”Trampling” of the Holy City — Lk. 21:24 seems to be the background to the trampling under foot of the city. As we have already seen John uses earthly Jerusalem as an illustration of the Church.

 

The Time Periods of Chapter 11 — The 42 months is the period of the Church’s testimony in the world between the Resurrection-Ascension and the Second Coming of Christ. It is interesting to note that our Lord was on earth for 3½ years (42 / 30 day lunar months or 1260 days or a time, times, and half a time.) Also Daniel records this as the time that Antiochus Epiphanes controlled Jerusalem. There is no seven year time period in the book of Revelation. There is no division of the seventieth week of Daniel from the 69 weeks. They form a discrete unit.

vs. 3 “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

The Two Witnesses. The question facing us is, “Are these two literal individuals, or are they symbols of the church?” It is best to view the two witnesses as symbols of the true testimony of the Church in the world during the last days between the Resurrection-Ascension of Christ and His Second Coming. Note the following reasons: (1) in the O.T. two witnesses were required in order to establish a valid testimony (Deut. 17:6); (2) they seem to be “larger than life figures — i.e. Moses and Elijah resurrected.

The Significance of Sackcloth — Sackcloth was worn as a sign of grief and penitence. A prophetic ministry which damns more people to hell than it brings to Christ is cause for mourning and sorrow. We seem to have lost our ability today to mourn over sinners and the lost. 

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An early missionary of the Salvation Army wrote General William Booth a letter in which he decried the lack of response to his ministry.

He wrote, “I have tried everything and failed.”

Booth send a terse reply, “Try tears!”

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Maybe it’s time for tears in the Western Church!

On to further verses in Chapter 11 next week.

Notes
(Commentaries on which I rely without direct quotation) 

Beale, G. K. (2015). Revelation: a Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Kindle Edition.

ESV. (2001). Accessed 24 June 2020 from https://www.biblegateway.com

Hendriksen, William. More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (p. 125).

Johnson, A. F. (1982). Revelation in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Johnson, D. E. (2001). Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Kenner, C. (2000). The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Morris, Leon. (1987). Revelation in Tyndale New Testament Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Open Doors. (2020). Accessed 8 August 2020 from https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/die-of-hunger-or-convert-to-islam-a-life-or-death-choice-for-christians-in-covid-19/

WikiMedia Commons for Images

© 2020 C. Richard Barbare All Rights Reserved

Revelation 10

5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

Image above from Wikipedia: “An angel appears with a book. Revelation chap 10 v 3. Mortier’s Bible. Phillip Medhurst Collection.” Creative Commons Attribution–Share Alike 3.0

We are continuing this week with the message of Revelation 10 which is given in the key verse of the chapter — verse 11 —

God has commissioned John and us, His people, to preach to all nations — “you must prophesy!” 

As God’s people, we are never without a task given to us by God. We may find ourselves with a shrinking audience, but we are never to give up on our calling!

Paul charged Timothy to continue in such ministry no matter where he found himself. II Timothy 4 —

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (ESV)

Brothers and Sisters, we are living in such a day! I can’t give you a timetable for the coming of the Lord, but people today would rather hear myths than the pure Word of God preached. 

III. The time when men can repent and be saved will come to an end; and then God’s judgment will fall. vss. 5-7.

There will be no one left at this point who will want to repent. Remember from the sixth seal — they cried out to the mountains and the rocks … “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb… .” They didn’t say, “Save us.” He would have, had they called out to Him for mercy! 

vs. 5 — The lifting up of the hand is a signal that someone is about to swear an oath. This further indicates that the person swearing is an angel and not the Lord Jesus. He is described with dignity because of the one he represents.

Vs. 6 — The description of God used by the angel in his oath emphasizes God’s eternity and creative activity. It is evident that the fulfillment of the oath depends upon One who is sovereign in both the earthly and the spiritual realms.

The King James Version says “there was no more time.” Many have taken this as the cessation of time altogether. However, it does not imply that in the age to come there will be no such thing as time. This expression is close to our idiom, “I’m out of time.” We do not mean that time has come to an end. We mean that we no longer have any time for a particular activity. This is precisely what the angel means. Time for repentance will come to a halt with the sounding of the seventh trumpet. From then on, the undiluted wrath of God will be poured out. (see the bowls in chapter 16.)

vs. 7 — In this verse the strong adversative “but” (alla) indicates that a contrast is about to be described. Instead of time for repentance, there will be the promised fulfillment of Judgment.

The Greek word mustrêion is not something which is totally hidden. It is, rather, something which must be revealed in order to be understood. The mystery of God is his entire plan of redemption which includes the judgment of evil and the salvation of his people.

The fact that the mystery is finished in the days of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, rather than at the moment of the trumpet sound, leads us to believe that the trumpets cover a period of time and are not just momentary blasts.

The trumpets each are sounded for an extended period of time. The period of time is a “day of grace” accompanied by warning judgments. “Announced” is euangelizô. It is normally translated “proclaim the gospel.” It means “to proclaim news” in this context.

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

IV. Proclaiming God’s Gospel is a mixed experience for us as God’s messengers. vss. 8-11 

vs. 8 The scroll is that portion of God’s prophetic purpose which he has allowed mankind to comprehend. John is told to assimilate It. This is for the purpose of giving it out later on. See Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 for the background to this prophetic action on the part of John.

vs. 9 & 10 — The Meaning of Eating the Scroll — The assimilation of truth into one’s life is a good experience. It is good to teach others of those truths. However, there is a dark side. The Bible contains both blessings and curses — both edification and judgment. Ministry involves both if it is a faithful ministry. John would know the sweet and the bitter in the course of his prophetic ministry.

When I was a young man I heard of a lady who approached her pastor and seemed to compliment him. She said, “Preacher, when you first came here I likened you to the Apostle Paul in the way you preached.” He basked in the sunlight of her flattery for a moment. Then she added, “But, I don’t think you can preach at all now! Unless the denominational magazine comes by Friday, you don’t have anything to preach about.”

That was cruel. My mother witnessed this scene. The elderly lady had had her sacred cow ground for hamburger meat in a sermon and didn’t like it. She turned on her pastor and many followed into a campaign against him. Eventually the church was relocated to the affluent side of town and the building sold to another church. The ministry was effective to that community before the critical campaign began.

vs. 11 — John’s Audience — John never prophesied again before a large audience in person. He did do so through his writings, however. This must have greatly encouraged him since he was in exile at the time. As we proclaim John’s message, we are assured of the same promises by the Lord through His angel!

We never really know who listens to what we say or who sees what we do. If they pass it along or replicate our example, those who benefit become a part of our audience!

Application of the truths of Chapter 10

Next time, chapter eleven.

Notes
(Commentaries on which I rely without direct quotation) 

Beale, G. K. (2015). Revelation: a Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Kindle Edition.

ESV. (2001). Accessed 24 June 2020 from https://www.biblegateway.com

Hendriksen, William. More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Grenad Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (p. 125).

Johnson, A. F. (1982). Revelation in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Johnson, D. E. (2001). Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Kenner, C. (2000). The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

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© 2020 C. Richard Barbare All Rights Reserved

Revelation 10

1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. …

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This Chapter is one that emphasizes the full scope of John’s commission as a prophet. He is to have a worldwide ministry. Although he never carried his message to the whole world in person, nevertheless, his message has been delivered to the world throughout all ages by means of his writings. This passage confirms to John that he indeed has a prophetic call. Remember that he is in exile and needs confirmation that his message needs to be written down. The message applies to God’s people of all ages, as well.

 

That brings us to the reason for the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets. We had a similar interlude between the sixth and the seventh seals. There was a need for explanation of security of God’s people in the midst of the seal judgments. Here the judgments are more intense and there is need for explanation as to what God’s people are to be doing while judgment falls on God’s opponents. They are in need of assurance that the message is still effective in the midst of active opposition! The key verse comes at the end.

God has commissioned John and His people to preach to all nations — “you must prophesy!” vs. 11

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I. God is sovereign over the land and the sea. vs. 2

vs. 1 The Identity the Angel — “Another” is allos = “another of the same kind.” The terminology used rules out the identification of this figure as the Lord Jesus himself. Jesus is always identified forthrightly in the Revelation of John. “Christ is never called an angel in this book, and this angel is not accorded divine honors. — Leon Morris

The angel is invested with divine power because he has a divine mission to perform. The tense of verb is the present tense participle = “coming down.” John actually sees this angel make his descent. The direction of descent in the vision indicates that John is now seeing things from the earthly perspective, whereas before he was seeing things from the heavenly viewpoint. So ought we if we are to prophesy God’s Words to our age.

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The Holy Spirit rides in the chariot of Scripture, and not in the wagon of modern thought. Scripture is that ark of the covenant which contains the golden pot of manna, and also bears above it the divine light of God’s shining. The Spirit of God works in, by, and through, and with the Word; and if we keep to that Word, we may rest assured that the Holy Ghost will keep with us, and make our testimony to be a thing of power.
— C. H. Spurgeon, from a Sermon delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, April 19th, 1891

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The Angel’s Appearance — Clouds are identified in Psalm 104:3 as God’s chariots. The rainbow brings to mind Rev. 4 — a rainbow surrounded the throne. His countenance was brilliant cf. Rev. 1:16.

vs. 2 The Scroll in his Hand—The word for “scroll” in Rev. 5:2 is biblion (the Greek word from which we derive our English word “bible”) . Here the word is biblaridion. This is the only use of this word in the New Testament, so it is difficult to determine its exact meaning. It seems to be a diminutive form of biblos (“little scroll”) This small scroll lay open on the hand of the angel, whereas the other scroll (in Rev. 5) was sealed. The tense of the verb anoigô (“to open”) is perfect tense. It had been opened in the past and still lay open on the palm of the angel in the present.

What is the significance of this “little scroll?” It contains God’s purposes which he has been pleased to reveal to man i.e. his program for the end of the world. Since it is a diminutive form, it only contains a portion of that program, and is not comprehensive like the other scroll in Rev. 5 & 6. Humans can only comprehend a portion of God’s wisdom, Therefore, God only entrusts a portion of it to man.

The Size and Posture of the Ange l — The angel’s posture denotes that he has authority over the entire earth — water and land. The angel’s size defies description. It would be a great  encouragement to a small group of beleaguered Christians to know they had such colossal forces at work in their behalf.

II. God knows all, but we His servants know only what He has revealed in His Word vs. 3-4.

vs. 3b … When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 

The Angel’s Shout — The loud shout brings on the sounding of the seven thunders. Note carefully that the phrase has the definite article, and, therefore, is identified as a specific group of thunders.

vs. 4 The Seven Thunders — The seven thunders gave forth revelation about the plan of God for the end of the world. John understood what they revealed, and he was about to write when he was stopped. N.B. the use of the prohibitory subjunctive = me + aorist subjunctive indicating, “Do not even begin to write.”

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All we have to help us in interpreting the seven thunders is in Psalm 29. Note the recurring phrase, “The voice of the Lord.”

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

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“Either the seven thunders were [only] intended for John’s [personal] illumination and were not essential to the main vision of the seven trumpets, or the reference is designated to strike a note of mystery with reference to God’s revelatory activities (cf. II Cor. 12:4). As the visible portion of an iceberg is only a small part of it, so God’s disclosures reveal only part of his total being and purposes.”

I take the second view. God makes sure we do not assume to know it all.

A Caveat — The fact that John does not give us all the visions relating to the future should caution us about being so dogmatic about our different systems of interpreting prophecy. We do not have all of the pieces of the puzzle! This portion of revelation was deliberately sealed up. Leon Morris, on page 138 of his commentary, brings out that sealing in apocalyptic writings signifies that which is to be kept hidden (Cf. Daniel 12:4).

When I was in Seminary, there was a clothes closet we visited often. It had books and games. We once took a puzzle. That puzzle drove us all crazy. It didn’t have missing pieces. An imp had thrown extra pieces into it from another puzzle! I took that puzzle back minus the extra pieces. 

We do not have extra pieces in the Revelation puzzle, but we have pieces God has deliberately left out to make us humble as we read it and proclaim it. Like the apostles at the ascension, ““It is not for [us] to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But … [we are to] be His witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

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A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like.

Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby, and said, “Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today.”

After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map correctly fitted together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. “Oh,” she said, “on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.” (see Map and the Face of Jesus, below.)

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If we read Revelation to find the place Jesus deserves in our hearts and lives, instead of looking for times and seasons, He’ll put us back together right and our country as well!

Next time more on Revelation 10.

Notes (Commentaries on which I rely without direct quotation) 

Beale, G. K. (2015). Revelation: a Shorter Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Kindle Edition.

ESV. (2001). Accessed 24 June 2020 from https://www.biblegateway.com

Johnson, A. F. (1982). Revelation in Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Johnson, D. E. (2001). Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Kenner, C. (2000). The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic.

Map and the Face of Jesus. (2020). Accessed 2 August 2020 from ttps://www.thepathoftruth.com/falsehood-exposed/sappy-stories/map-face-of-jesus.htm

Spurgeon, C. H. (1891). Accessed 2 August 2020 from https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2201.cfm

© 2020 C. Richard Barbare All Rights Reserved