Revelation 10 Devotions
by Pastor Mark Hudson
We are in the third section of seven. This third section includes chapters 8-11. Remember, one way to look at this book is below. The book is 7 parallel sections: the sections are as follow:
1-3 Christ in the midst of 7 lamp stands
4-7 Vision of heaven and the 7 seals
8-11 The 7 trumpets
12-14 The Persecuting Dragon
15-16 The 7 bowls
17-19 Fall of Babylon, beast, and false prophet
20-21 The Great Consummation and the devil’s doom
This way of looking at the book differs from how some people read this book. Many people think we should read Revelation chronologically. After all, that is how we read many books. But this approach sees each section covering the same duration of time. Each of these seven sections run parallel to each other; almost repeating the time frame 7 times. At our chapter, we are near the end of the seven trumpets – the sixth sounded in chapter 9.
You have noticed the seven trumpets in this section as well as the church as the focus of chapters 10-11. In chapter ten, the second to the last chapter of this section, there is a rather long delay in the book between the sixth angel in 9:13 and the seventh angel in 11:15
While there are similarities to this giant angel and Christ, I do not think they are the same. Christ is not an angel, a created being. I think verse six prevents us from seeing this angel as Christ. Since Christ is the one who created the world. Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things were created through him and for him.” But, as we have said previously, not everyone agrees with this.
Yet he has a message that must be heard, hence” he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on land” v. 2. This is a universal message that must be heard by all. But I would like to look at the little scroll in the hands of the giant angel. 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.”
This scroll represents God’s Word. Ezekiel ate a scroll in Ezekiel 3:1 and it was sweet to him. In Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. 17 I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation.” Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel tasted the sweetness of loving and serving God and the bitterness of rejection, isolation, and humiliation. Both of their books detail the life of a prophet: not pleasant, easy, or desirable by most people.
This is no different than anyone who speaks the truth of God. Jesus was not the first nor the last person to experience the joy of knowing God and the rejection of friends. But no one was ever so unjustly hated and rejected. But Jesus was faithful in every way to His heavenly Father. Jesus is our example if we are rejected for the loving, sincere, faithful teaching or preaching , let alone living, God’s Word. No one ever suffered the way He did. No one. Christ was perfect and still was rejected.
Revelation reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle. Not a physical battle but one where we will win by the loving, faithful presentation of the gospel of God. You may find yourself at odds with your culture or friends. Sometimes we don’t always react properly so we must keep our eyes on Christ who experienced the sweetness and bitterness of God’s Word.